No Cure for Serious Mental Illness

HealthyPlace Mental Health Newsletter

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• But You Can Still Live A Good Life
• Feeling Alone in the World, What Would You Do?
• Living in a Bipolar Marriage - Beating the Odds
• Mental Health Experiences
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• From HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Your Thoughts: From the HealthyPlace Forums and Chat

But You Can Still Live A Good Life

"I think about my 17 year old daughter," starts the email from a concerned mother. "What will her life be like living with bipolar disorder forever?"

Ironically, the email arrives just before this blog post from Natalie Jean Champagne: "Is it Possible to Recover from Chronic Mental Illness?" In a very succinct fashion using the physical vs. mental illness analogy, Natalie spells out that for people with bipolar, schizophrenia, in many instances major depression and certain anxiety and other disorders, you have to be in it for the long-haul. It isn't like your doctor will say: "take a few pills, put an ice pack on your head, and in a few weeks you'll be feeling just fine."

HealthyPlace Medical Director and Board-Certified psychiatrist, Dr. Harry Croft says there's a direct correlation between full acceptance of your mental illness and your level of recovery (managing your symptoms) over time. People who understand and acknowledge the gravity of their illness are usually more committed to the treatment process. For those having difficulty getting to that point, Dr. Croft says, therapy can pave the way.

So my response to the mother above is: there are also people who have serious physical disabilities that last a lifetime, yet with treatment and perseverance, they manage to live full and productive lives. Hopefully with your support and guidance, your daughter can find that too.

If you've come around to accepting a mental illness, please call our "Share Your Mental Health Experiences" line at 1-888-883-8045 and let us know how you did it. Your call can help many others.

Mental Health Experiences

Share your thoughts/experiences with any mental health subject, or respond to other people's audio posts, by calling our toll-free number (1-888-883-8045).

You can listen to what other people are saying by clicking on the gray title bars inside the widgets located on the "Sharing Your Mental Health Experiences" homepage, the HealthyPlace homepage, and the HealthyPlace Support Network homepage.

If you have any questions, write us at: info AT healthyplace.com

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Battling Mental Illness
2. Video on Changing Our View of Body Image
3. Alternative Treatments for Mood Disorders - Video

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

From HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

Your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Coming Out of the Dark Closet of Depression (Coping with Depression Blog)
• About Dan Hoeweler, Author of Creative Schizophrenia blog (Creative Schizophrenia Blog)
• New Diagnoses In DSM-5 Challenge Normal/Whacked Dichotomy (Funny in the Head: A Mental Health Humor Blog)
• Is it Possible to Recover from Chronic Mental Illness? (Recovering From Mental Illness Blog)
• Depression - I'd Rather Be Sleeping (Breaking Bipolar Blog)
• The Good Boss: Emotion Regulation in Workplace Relationships (Relationships and Mental Illness Blog)
• APNA: Brief View From the Psychiatric Nurse's Station (Mental Illness in the Family Blog)
• Gaslighting (Verbal Abuse and Relationships Blog)
• Why Disclose an Anxiety Disorder? and When to Disclose and Anxiety Disorder (Treating Anxiety Blog)
• Disease Burnout: I Am More Than My Eating Disorder (Surviving ED Blog)
• Family Birthday Celebration Too Stressful for Mentally Ill Child (Life with Bob: A Parenting Blog)
• Drunkorexia: When Disordered Eating and Alcohol Collide (Debunking Addiction Blog)
• Celebrate your ADHD! (Living with Adult ADHD Blog)
• Borderline Personality Disorder and Anger: Where Do I Draw the Line? (More Than Borderline Blog)
• "Letting Go of Dissociative Living" (Dissociative Living Blog)
• How Do I Convince Myself To Get Help for Mental Illness?
• About Jack Smith, Author of Coping with Depression Blog
• Anxiety-Panic and Dealing with Feeling 'Out of Control'
• Stigma and Disclosure: Living Openly With Mental Illness. Is It A Good Thing?
• Battling Mental Illness.
• Staying Connected: The Importance of Friends in Eating Disorder Recovery
• Random Sanity Checkpoints Should Curb The Scourge Of "DWI"

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

Your Thoughts: From the HealthyPlace Forums and Chat

From our Alternative Mental Health Forums, neurologict wants to know: "is telepathy really possible?" He's read conflicting articles on it and has seen recent stories from people with schizophrenia saying they are telepathic. Sign into the forums and share your thoughts and comments.

Join us on the HealthyPlace Mental Health Forums and Chat

You must be a registered HealthyPlace member. If you aren't already, it's free and takes less than 30 seconds. Just click the "register button" at the top of the page.

At the bottom of the forums page, you'll notice a chat bar (similar to facebook). You can chat with any registered member on the forums site.

We hope you'll be a frequent participant and share our support link with others who may benefit.

Feeling Alone in the World, What Would You Do?

Lee Horbachewski, author of "A Quiet Strong Voice" and known on social networks as SimpLee_Serene, made it through postpartum depression which turned into a long battle with major depression. While her story is certainly inspirational, her recovery was really unremarkable. No tricks or miracles. Just one step at a time. Watch this week's HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show. (Feeling Alone in the World, What Would You Do? - TV Show blog)

Other Recent HPTV Shows

Unique Challenges Facing Women with ADHD

Coming in October and November on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show

• HAES (Health at Any Size): What Does That Really Mean?
• The Balanced Mind Foundation
• Surviving Severe Depression is a Battle

If you would like to be a guest on the show or share your personal story in writing or via video, please write us at: producer AT healthyplace.com

For all previous HealthyPlace Mental Health TV archived shows.

Living in a Bipolar Marriage - Beating the Odds

When you're married to someone with a serious mental illness like bipolar disorder, sometimes the usual relationship rules just don't apply, says Sara Anderson, author of the Bipolar Marriage blog. Her amazing story and why she stuck around, plus valuable insights into how to maintain your relationship if you're married to someone with bipolar disorder - on this edition of the HealthyPlace Mental Health Radio Show. Listen to Committed to a Bipolar Marriage.

Other Recent HealthyPlace Radio Shows

• Role Social Media Can Play in Preventing Suicide

If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook, stumbleupon, or digg) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week,

• follow HealthyPlace on Twitter or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook.

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index