Finding out if my mother has died.

As per discussion in counselling and something that has recently occurred, I am seeking info to know if my mother has died. So, I have messaged the local records office where I know she was living.

I am aware, my siblings would no doubt choose to not tell me if she has, due to this blog. So, I am not expecting to have heard from them, should she have died.

Facebook is harmful, many just don’t have insight to see this.

I see all the unhealthy aspects of Facebook, and how unaware people are about this. I refuse to allow myself to follow along with all the many issues it creates. Hence, why I am currently on a Facebook fast.

And I always feel better, when not indulging in compulsive behaviour. And not seeing all the many unwise behaviours, opinions and posts.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tayana-simons/seven-reasons-facebook_b_6709574.html

Interestingly, the wiser people in life I know, either don’t use Facebook at all, or rarely use it. That speaks volumes to me.

Dealing with stigma about mental health/illness/disorders, is a complex issue. Requiring empathy for others.

I see stigma everywhere. Including within the mental health industry and within those who are dealing with mental health issues. I see people with certain disorders, saying theirs is different, and shaming others in the process.

I see the deeper, bigger picture and do not want to shame anyone with mental health issues such as depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, OCD, autism etc.

I don’t intend getting bogged down by individual people’s opinions on certain mental health disorders, being treated differently to others, based on how they were caused. Fact is, most mental health issues, are caused by neglect and abuse in childhood. As most mental health issues, develop before adulthood. Along with genetic and environmental factors, adding to the likelihood of mental health issues developing.

I have the empathy needed, to see the whole and bigger picture about how the brain and psyche are affected by what happens to people and the resulting mental health issues. It is how people deal with that, that matters to me. How people treat others that matters to me. And shaming someone else, for having a mental health illness different to my own, is wrong. (Yes, how people treat others matters).

As the very inspiring Eleanor Longden stated in her amazing TED talk – she belives all mental health issues are ‘not about what is wrong with you, but about what happened to you’.

https://www.ted.com/speakers/eleanor_longden

Schizophrenia, receives considerable stigma and shaming attitudes from many, and yet Eleanor has helped changed that. She was abused as a child, and the result being a ‘sane reaction, to insane circumstances’. 

Decided on a layout/plan for my book.

I realise I cannot simply pull a load of blogs from this blog site, and shove them in a book. So, I have decided on writing chapters for each main section of my healing journey over the last 4 years, starting at my ‘breakdown’ which was actually my ‘breakthrough’ (after decades of suppression/avoidance etc).

Then each chapter will have a section written, plus accompanying blog posts as diary entries, with relevant poems and quotes I have written. I’ve written over 700 quotes, and over 40 poems, so I have many to choose.

So, hopefully that will flow well and make sense to readers.

I’m concentrating on the first 3 chapters