Introduction

Hi, there. Thanks for visiting. I'm starting this blog as an advocate for mental and physical health. I'm a freelance writer and also own a home based medical transcription business. I was diagnosed in 1978 with paranoid schizophrenia and started to become acutely ill three years prior to that, unmedicated, frightened, confused, and in trouble with the law. I graduated from university with distinction the year I became ill. I've never regretted learning how to think at university. I struggled with my illness for 35 years and have reached the top of the mountain now, I think, or the other side, where the grass is greener and the path easier. There's hope for all of us, the whole human race, and never think there isn't hope or joy no matter your circumstances. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with mental illness in all its forms: depression, brain injury, autism, schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety disorders, etc. and your positive experiences as well as those lies and half truths society and even therapists would have us believe about ourselves.

We are different folks, and we are beautiful. The whole human race is beautiful. Let's celebrate life.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Skold and Cheers and all that with - of course - dealcoholized grog

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES!

The new year promises to be the best one yet. For one - thanks to the Forensic assessment a psychiatrist I felt I could respect and like offered to see me as a patient. And it's time I saw a psychiatrist. I saw one about two years ago on one occasion but he didn't take me on as a patient at that time, and my last psychiatrist retired in 1997 or thereabouts. I've been seeing nurses if I see anybody at all. Nurses are okay but they can't help me, sorry, nurse. The psychiatrist said that, too. Sorry, nurse, you're not a doctor and never will be a doctor. I'm thrilled about something else. The psychiatrist I saw said my delusions and obsessions were medication related, and she pointed out that I haven't been bothered with them for two years (since my unfortunate brush with the law) and that I'd started taking Celexa (an antidepressant I take to cope with SAD) about then. She said Celexa is known to help obsessions and delusions. I was dumb struck so to say, and on thinking about it, had to agree the timing was right. So I'm going to take Celexa all the time now, not just in the wintertime, and I'm so delighted that it can be helped by meds that I'm wondering if anyone else knows that, or if it's something new? Or something that only occasionally would happen to help someone, and not everyone? I know not everyone is happy with Celexa but it works very well for depression for me and I take only 20 mg a day. It's worth the forensic involvement for me to find that out. I thought it was a character flaw. Often I think psychiatric problems are looked upon as a character flaw not only by the unknowing public but by ourselves.

And when she asked me what I had learned, I said "I learned it's not all about me". And I'm beginning to see what that means. Maybe someone else can clarify that thought and what it means to them. But I know ego driven people, and although an ego is necessary, narcissism isn't!