July 2019 By Bekah Cone When I was a child, my anxiety and depression was labeled as shyness. When I was a teenager, it was labeled as hormonal changes and when I left for college, it was the “normal” reaction to such a big life transition. Suddenly, I ran out of explanations for the symptomsContinue reading Diagnosis and Therapy Bring Relief and Hope
Therapeutic Writing: Using the Power of Storytelling to Practice Mindfulness, Heal, and Recover Our Dreams
July 2019 By Madeline Strong Diehl Editor’s note: Madeline Strong Diehl is an award-winning poet and playwright who lives in Ann Arbor with her husband. Her therapeutic writing programs are designed as peer-to-peer workshops, integrating her knowledge and skills from more than three decades as an essayist and professional magazine writer and editor, along withContinue reading Therapeutic Writing: Using the Power of Storytelling to Practice Mindfulness, Heal, and Recover Our Dreams
A Mother’s Story of Schizophrenia
July 2019 By Cheryl Wiker Editor’s note: This story is an excerpt from the author’s book, “Uncommon Courage.” The day my daughter, Kim, began hearing voices, started out as normal as any other day. As a single parent, I was managing fairly well, fortified by my faith and generally optimistic view of life. We wereContinue reading A Mother’s Story of Schizophrenia
Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Families
July 2019 By Susan Todoroff While looking for library books on borderline personality disorder (BPD) I saw the choices were scarce. Before going online to look for more, I decided to check out “The Essential Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder” by Randi Kreger. The book helps family members understand and communicate better with theirContinue reading Borderline Personality Disorder: A Guide for Families
Understanding Suicide From the Inside Out
APRIL 2019 BY WILLIAM POLKOWSKI Kay Redfield Jamison — author of the autobiography “An Unquiet Mind” and “Touched With Fire,” a study of the connection between creativity and bipolar disorder (or manic depression) — wrote “Night Falls Fast” in an attempt to understand suicide more deeply. Dr. Jamison, who lives with bipolar disorder, once attemptedContinue reading Understanding Suicide From the Inside Out
Return to U-M Helps NAMI Volunteer Find New Career Path
FEBRUARY 2019 BY SPENCER WALZ Note: This story was originally published online under a different headline on March 15, 2018, by the U-M School of Public Health. Both the School of Public Health and the author, who leads a NAMI Washtenaw support group, granted NAMI Washtenaw permission to republish it. I started at the UniversityContinue reading Return to U-M Helps NAMI Volunteer Find New Career Path
Is Romance in the Offing? NAMI Offers Advice
FEBRUARY 2019 Note: Our thanks to NAMI for allowing us to republish this article from the NAMI website: nami.org/find-support/living-with-a-mental-health-condition/romantic-relationships. When you’re living with a mental health condition, you may wonder whether or not to talk about it with your significant other. And if you’re single, you may wonder if having a mental health condition rulesContinue reading Is Romance in the Offing? NAMI Offers Advice
A Psychologist Tells Her Own Story of Schizophrenia
FEBRUARY 2019 BY LOIS MAHARG Arnhild Lauveng has written the kind of mental health book I like to read: an intimate account of lived experience and insight from a person who recovered her health and became what she wanted to be. But Lauveng’s diagnosis was schizophrenia, and schizophrenia is understood by many to be anContinue reading A Psychologist Tells Her Own Story of Schizophrenia
The Shame of Recovery
DECEMBER 2018 BY CHRISTI BURKETT It was 6:30 a.m. on the last day of summer. I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I made some coffee. I’ve gotten into the habit of a brief meditation before drinking my coffee. After meditating, I held my hot mug of coffee between both hands, porch doorContinue reading The Shame of Recovery
Internet Resources for Mental Health
DECEMBER 2018 BY LOIS MAHARG Looking for assistance with a mental health condition? If you’ve got access to the internet, resources are close at hand. While not recommended as a substitute for professional help, said Dr. Sagar V. Parikh, a physician with the University of Michigan Depression Center, resources from the internet can supplement therapy.Continue reading Internet Resources for Mental Health