Holdin ground and not going to therapy..

'be sane'.

Have been told by good friend and HATAS worker that I need therapy, meds but I am ok so not obliging them, sorry.  Am handling stress from where live(people obnoxious), being poor, unemployed, having disabilities, living in pain, being alone a lot, lonely, no friends, family here,etc.

Local gal, 18, convicted for killing her father. Shot him with  gun. Was 17 at time. Sad. She claimed self defense. She had used his credit card and he was not too happy about it. Again, shows the importance of how mental health treatment, therapy needs to be readily available to all so that people who need help get it before they snap and hurt others.

excerpt below from mental health site...

	Ask Dr. Schwartz: Psychotherapy and Mental Health questions
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Personality Disorder or Just a Horrible Person

Sat, Dec 21st 2013

Dear Dr. Schwartz,
I have been married for 15 years and for 13 of those my mother-in-law had keys to our house. I loved & trusted her as she helped me a lot when my children were young. However, I realised she was stealing my things. Over the years she has taken kitchen knives, expensive linen, my grandmothers crochet tablecloth, bath towels, coasters, alcohol, platters and other household goods.I used to see things at her home and think she just used to go out and buy the same items, e.g. a white platter, for example, until I noticed that my white linen tablecloth was on her dining table. She has also given my grandmothers crochet tablecloth to her daughter as a wedding gift.

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I have confronted her with this and there is always some explanation e.g. that her employer brought back the white linen tablecloth from Hong Kong for her as a gift. Also, after I confronted her about it, she started putting all my things that she had taken over the years, on show, e.g. my knives on her kitchen bench, my drink coasters on her coffee table.
She is also a compulsive liar. She does have money and can afford to buy these things for herself, but does not like to spend money. She lives like a miser. She attends Church every Sunday and appears to be an upstanding citizen. She does not have any long term friendships. I thought I was the luckiest person on earth to have such a great & helpful motherinlaw until I discovered she was stealing from our house. Now I don't want to even be in the same room as her. Is there some sort of explanation for her behaviour? I thought if I can work out why she has done this it will help me deal with it.

Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D. Responds

I don't know if your mother-in-law has a personality disorder or not. Either way, she, in your terms, could be a "horrible person." Not everyone with a personality disorder is horrible and not everyone who is free from this disorder is nice.
Many years ago, working in the hospitals, we used to say that "mental illness is no excuse for bad behavior. Except for those who are so mentally ill or delusional that they cannot decipher right from wrong, people know what is ethical and not. After all, she goes to Church, which by itself, indicates a sense of moral thinking.
Having said all of this, she might have some type of mental illness. There are those who have a compulsion to hoard. In that case, people pick up and save garbage, shop compulsively and save what they buy, steal and save the stolen items and etc. There are those who compulsively steal things, know it's wrong and cannot stop.
I assume that you have discussed this with your husband and have decided how you want to deal with the problem. If not, the two of you need to discuss this problem and decide upon a reasonable approach. I assume you want your grandmother's table cloth back. However, its important that the two of you are united on this thing and in agreement, even if that agreement means doing nothing.
Best of Luck

- Allan Schwartz, LCSW, Ph.D.

More violence in our schools....

/be sane'.

this time it's Pennsylvania, small town. Kid comes in hacking people with knife. What? no metal detectors? come on people get with the program and update your security in school, work, malls. Also make mental health a priority. Increase funding so people who need help, get it. Write your congressman now.You mean to tell me no one knew this kid was in trouble? how did he get by security guard when entered school with two knives? How come security guard couldn't defend himself and do something to help prevent this?

Dr. Brene Brown's vulnerability

'be sane.'

at Ted Talks. Good stuff. click here for video.

Interview with Sinead O'Connor...

'get sane.'

She shares on how she has bipolar.  See here.

Another shooting..

'stay or get sane'.

opens our eyes to the need for providing affordable mental health treatment for all. Yes, 'insanity' is overrated or rather, not making this a prioriy is just plain stupid. In these stressful, economically taxing times with foreclosures due to job loss, the break down of the nuclear family, wide spread divorce, depression, isolation due to technology and it's fast pace, warring nations, crime, violence and so on..We are put upon daily in countless ways, bombarded by all this stimuli. Easing our minds is an oasis and answer.  How do we do this? Try affordable ways and not just paying a shrink for  100 an hour. Yoga, meditation, deep stretching, breathing, juicing, walking, biking, listening to calming music, swimming, going for a stroll in the woods, hanging with  our pets, minimizing cluttering, letting go of some of our possessions that really possess us  are all possible options. 'here's to your health!'

read more here.  on fort hood and handling traumatic situations like this.

Use Lumosity to train yiour brain..

'be sane'.

and keep it healthy, agile. Cognitive games, skills learned, maintained like for memory, awareness of things going on at same time, finding differences in say a group of pix and similarities.

Just came out of an online mental health chat on Bipolar World. Felt attacked. Moderator booted me and the let me back in. All said was not good to be reactive but to act. was told didn't know him and how was lecturing and a troll and so forth by the group. Felt unwelcomed. typical of this type of room and a mental one in particular given the people thee who are unstable. what do you think? has this happened to you in a chat, forum online?

All I did rather than respond and 'bug out' is deep breath and say 'be still' and was calmer as felt self getting hurt, worked up so is my responsibility to work it down and be sane not nutty, reactive blown about by the winds of life.

Watched Joel Osteen and Charles Stanley...

this morning. I do this every Sunday and watch Joyce Meyers at 8AM daily. i try to live spiritually. I believe this is good for my mental health as well.What do you think? What do you do to stay on track?

Plan to cut mental health spending with budget cuts..

'sane brain,healthy life'.

Wrong move. many deeply troubled,poor people about who need help and free treatment. need to keep it available. many pressured,working longer hours,sleeping less to make ends meet. a deadly combination.

Watch Oprah Winfrey's 'Super soul Sunday'..

and connect wwith your soulful,spiriual side. Your mind,brain,self with thank you! Namaste. I watch it and several preachers like joel osteen,charles Stanley and joyce meyer each Sunday to connect with my inner self,voice.

While many are nutty as...

evidenced by the latest shooting in DC, there is little interest in this blog that has a mental health related  theme. I offers free help to those afflicted written by a person who struggled with this disorder. Sad comment I think o society. What do you think?

Am coping with accusations and charges...

Live sane! 

by seeing therapist and chatting with supportive people often like my good freind Bill,my advocate Karen and housing rep thru HATAS,Leslie. Sent a letter to my accuser and judge asking for leniency and that I would pay back gradually what owe as am innocent and accidentally used his card on file on Amazon for self. Doesn't make me a criminal. Contacted public defender and sent out application for help so now just have to wait and hoe for the best and pray.

Attended Brain injury awareness conference in..

Albany at the Marriot hotel. Was ok,nothing great. Food was good as provided continental breakfast,catered lunch,veggie lasagna and dinner,fried chiken,salad,cheese cake. Displayed and sold my art,jewelry,some Mary kay cosmetics and perfume aquired from yard sale from exrep. Made $25.



Karen,my facts coordinator,advocate,BIANYS and me at conference. 6/2013.

Back in therapy...

Yeh got a new therapist,psychologist. Seems  like a cool dude. I highly recommend this to others as it is good to be somewhat introspective and to have an objective voice to talk to and bounce aspects of our life off of. ALso in my case,it its good to talk to someone as live near no friends,family and gets lonely hear in Albany,NY.

Borderline (old post)...

moved it from my 'frugal' blog as fits in better here. Borderline Personality Disorder and Me... keeping well: spend time with select family,friends,support groups,chats,online and locally,humor,distract with movie,tv,not triggering),volunteering,cooking nice meal,hugging self,compassion for self,others,prayer,dropping judgement,expectations,comparing,moping,self pity,manipulating,complaining,worry,hypersensitivity,letting go of,making peace with past,forgiving those who hurt us,accept,be honest,courageous,positive,grateful,remember where were before,(replace old negative statements in writing with positive ones,reduce anger,fear with reframing,working self down,staying in day,control addictions,ask for help,company,not enabling helps. All relative. Put inspiring quotes on walls. Peace,God bless,good luck to all of us. Work it, worth it,stronger,better than you know. Brain remembers,we learn in time not to repeat same mistakes and walk down different st. so don't fall in hole again. Is crux of it. Weren't loved so we have to love us. Don't accept others trash just because have issues,maybe poor,jobless,friendless as keep to self to avoid pain or not being understood. No.one deserves abuse. It ends here,now when we say enough and take back that child,person wounded,depend on selves not another as a crutch,learn to and receive love and walk. No shame,not to blame. We didn't cause this but responsible for what do with it. Is like a balloon. By doing techniques I gave you and do myself,we let a little air out of it at a time so suffering lessens and is bearable We are great and survivors. If you are still here,you are doing more right than wrong. Nothing wrong with us,more like what happened to us. Celebrate your survival. When you finally overcome this you are a miracle and learn to love yourself. No one can take that from you. Our journey inspires others to make the same as we fly on the backs of us pioneers just like geese taking turns leading,squawking,til we tire and let our sister,brother lead for a time til we reach our goals. Perfection is an illusion. We are ok right now as are,not defective.We need each other as we are part of a unique flock. We are not crazy but have been exposed to violence,etc. that made us function in maladaptive ways as we couldn't be direct to our abusers. When we find a safe place to live,take the right medicine,find a trauma therapist,meet other BPD peers,begin to use these tools above, the healing begins. Don't expect people who haven't lived this to understand and ask for advice as they can't give it to you. Is like we speak an unknown language. They can have empathy but they need to be in a group to deal with us. We are not bad just very misunderstood.

Mental Health Activism..

Lots of info and links,articles about mental illness,health,alternative treatment and human rights abuses and stories of survivors,people previously diagnosed with mental illness.

Troubled?

If you struggle with emotional,mental problems as I and many have for years,these links will be a gift to you. They are from my favorite Christian preachers,Charles Stanley and joyce myer. They are dynamic speakers and offer FREE videos and reading material unlike others who are out for your money like Joel Osteen and his Big Calvary church, the largest one in the USA. I guarantee these videos and these sites will lift your mood and lead you in a positi ve direction to heal what ails you. Often times it is a troubled past,namely hurts from loved ones such as family ,friends,peers. They may hae said,done things that hurt our feelings,self worth and ha e left us scarred til this day. many believe the lies they were told that they are 'no good' and don't live their best lies but instead are unhappy,doing drugs,drink,are promiscuous,in an unhealthy relationship and so on.. is this what we are here for? no, i don't think so. i believe we are here to enjoy our lives,find our divine purpose and live it serving others and the Lord,making a difference in this world and being remembered by the lives we have changed and touched. Recoery inc. is a self help support group for those with mental problems who struggle with troubling emotions of fear,anger,anxiety,panic. They meet across the US,in CN and Ireland currently. I attend a weekend meeting by teleconference from my home on Sundays, 3:30 PM EST. phone numb er is on the web site and code to punch in to jo9in meeting. in ti me get the book out of the library 'Mental health Through Will Training' by Dr. Abraham Low,written in the 1930's for his patients for them to review when not in session with hi m. The book as quotes you can cling to whe n in symptoms so you c an cope such as 'move a muscle,change a thought','we are a capable lot but we paralyze oursel ves with fear','inner approval is more important than outer approal','symptoms are to be bravely faced,hum bly born and tolerated' and so on. I strongly recommend this program to anyone afflicted with these problems to prevent frequent hospitalizations,suicide,incarceration,homelessness,divorc e,domestic violence and so on. It changes lies and it's free!