We all have trillions of microbes living in our intestines. This microbiome, which develops in infancy, plays a major role in our digestion, but there’s growing evidence that it affects more than just our digestive system. This collection of critters weighs about 2 kg and includes bacteria, fungi, and viruses. There is no “normal” microbiome […]
Does the Gut Microbiome Affect Mental Health? Read More »
A fellow blogger wrote a while back about creating your peace, and it got me thinkng about the relationship between non-acceptance and suffering in the context of mental illness. Mental illness isn’t fun, that much is clear. How we relate to illness, wellness, and recovery can evolve over time depending on the individual illness, how
Non-Acceptance, Suffering, and Mental Illness Read More »
Mental illness can certainly feel like it ages you, but is the combination of aging and mental illness something that’s visible from the outside? Does mental illness make you look older than you actually are? Changes over the years For a good chunk of my adult life, I looked youngish for my age. Not as
Does Mental Illness Make You Look Older? Read More »
Britney Spears has been in the news recently after the New York Times released its documentary Framing Britney Spears. It’s on Hulu and FX, which I don’t have access to, so I haven’t watched it. Still, I wanted to talk about the concept of conservatorship in relation to mental illness, because Britney represents an unusual
The Strangeness of the Britney Spears Conservatorship Read More »
Perhaps there are things you want to do, or think you should do, but they’re just not happening. How hard do you push yourself to try to get ‘er done anyway? Do you keep trying even when it becomes clear there’s no way it’s going to happen? I can think of a few factors that
How Hard Do You Push Yourself Against Mental Illness? Read More »
You may have heard of spoon theory, a popular metaphor for dealing with chronic illness and energy-depleting activities. You’re probably less likely to have heard of a variant called fork theory, and you probably haven’t heard of knife theory. In this post, we’re going to do a deep dive into the mental illness cutlery drawer,
The Mental Illness Cutlery Drawer: Spoons, Forks & More Read More »
I suspect that many of us living with mental illness, or any other chronic illness, for that matter, have a standard set of responses that we sometimes draw on when answering questions about how we are and what we do. “Not okay” just isn’t something most people want to hear. For me, these standard responses
How Are You? When “I’m Okay” Means Not Okay At All Read More »
When a fellow blogger asked what the science/psychology behind music and its positive effects on motivation and mood might be, and of course, my virtual ears perked up, and I decided to do some exploring. Music can activate several brain structures, including the amygdala, which is involved in trauma responses. Processing music is complex and
How Music Affects the Brain and Mood Read More »
The last time I worked a shift as a nurse was in November 2019. Since then, I’ve been unable to work because of my depression, and specifically because of psychomotor retardation. I didn’t want to apply for disability until it got to the point that I was quite sure I wasn’t going to be able
Adventures Applying for Disability Read More »
Mental illness often affects what we think about, but it can also affect how we think, including the speed of our thought process. This, in turn, can impact how well we’re able to function. Effects of different illness processes Mania Mania is an obvious example of speeding things up, and this may show up outwardly
What Speed Does Your Mental Illness Mind Move At? Read More »
