Tag / helping others

by mentallyillinamerica

Do This When You Can – “My Daily Checklist” (For World Mental Health Day)

Hey all,

I’ve been working on this template for the past year and I hope you find it useful!

It is quite difficult for me to complete many of these items most days; but, having a place for some of the most important items to me, can sometimes afford me a wonderful sense of accomplishment!

Alter the content in any way that helps, and please be sure to add plenty of inspiring images as well!

Also, consider returning to this post in the future, to let me know how the checklist has helped you.

—Mio Angelo

my-daily-checklistDownload

by mentallyillinamerica

How Personal Development Has Been “Forced” On Me

NOTE: When I say “forced,” I mean that I elected this path of personal development, which has much to do with how I process the world around me.

—

Personal development has been something I’ve been doing for 25 years, with varying degrees of success!

What I am beginning to figure out is that much of my progress is not only “slow,” but the process (for me) serves as more “motivational” than anything else.

Since I’ve learned that motivation doesn’t last… a lot of what I am hearing from listening to personal development audios, is not really helping!

Again, I get the benefit of being motivated… for a little while… maybe a day at most…

And, these are my observations!

Now, how has personal development been “forced” on me?

From my earliest days of getting doused with motivation (at 20/21), things were not “right” with me!

I didn’t know it at the time… but, for much of my life up until and after this period of personal development dousing, I was highly anxious!

My entire life, in fact (and in retrospect), I had a lot of anxiety… A lot!

I can remember being questioned about my life “privately” in elementary school, by social workers.

They asked me questions about my home life, and accepted the answers I gave them. At face value even!

If I were a school social worker, and I was questioning kids about their home life… I’d probably have done my homework prior to speaking to them!

Anyhow, I know about budget constraints and about kids falling through the cracks… plus, this was in the early 80’s!

In other words, I was likely doomed from the get-go…

So, personal development was my earliest “go-to” for anything I needed to understand (and, “explain” this mad life to me)!

What are some important ways in which you’ve grown, through having mental illness?

by mentallyillinamerica

Four Ideas That I Find Helpful, Part Two

Music.

Everything is music to me!

Whether it be a tune or just something that is music to my ears!

Music. Music. Music.

Or, sound actually…

Let’s make a beautiful sound and get the band back together!

Why not? 🙂

So, everyone’s taste in music is different no doubt!

But, if you like popular music, I am going to share a list with you of some of my favorite songs!

As with anything, take what you want and leave the rest…

I made a playlist of some songs from my collection of music.

Do you like any of the sounds on the following list? Which ones? 🙂

—

Million Years Ago (Adele)
Sweet Emotion (Aerosmith)
When The Party’s Over (Billie Eilish)
Human Touch (Bruce Springsteen )
Clocks (Coldplay)
Rebel Rebel (David Bowie)
Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode)
Strange Days (Doors)
Come Undone (Duran Duran)
Society (Eddie Vedder)
Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac)
Come Alive (Foo Fighters)
Hold on My Heart (Genesis)
Til I Hear It From You (Gin Blossoms)
Better Days (Goo Goo Dolls)
Wake Me When September Ends (Green Day)
Perfect World (Huey Lewis & The News)
Whatever It Takes (Imagine Dragons)
Gravity (John Mayer)
Get A Leg Up (John Mellencamp)
Lights (Journey)
Roar (Katy Perry )
Because Of You (Kelly Clarkson)
Telephone (Lady Gaga)
We Deal In Dreams (Live)
Make It Happen (Mariah Carey)
Daylight (Maroon 5)
3 am (Matchbox Twenty)
Said I Loved You… But I Lied (Michael Bolton)
In This World (Moby)
Part of the Process (Morcheeba)
When We Stand Together (Nickelback)
Lithium (Nirvana)
Hella Good (No Doubt)
Gone Away (Offspring)
I Am So Ordinary (Paula Cole)
Just Breathe (Pearl Jam)
Sour Times (Portishead )
Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.)
Streetcorner Symphony (Rob Thomas)
World On Fire (Sarah McLachlan)
Love’s Divine (Seal)
Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)
Fields Of Gold (Sting)
Lounge Fly (Stone Temple Pilots)
Blow Up The Outside World (Soundgarden)
Someday (Sugar Ray)
Jumper (Third Eye Blind)
Drops of Jupiter (Train)
Beautiful Day (U2)
One Headlight (Wallflowers)
Stand By Me (Weezer)
The Hardest Button to Button (White Stripes)
The Good Old Days (Yes Man Soundtrack)

by mentallyillinamerica

What Makes You Value Something?

I was watching “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” and have been thinking about that and the military and a lot of other “get them while they’re young” organizations.

You know, it is true?

When you get someone to follow your vision, while they’re “young and dumb,” you have a blind participant.

And, sometimes this blind participant will follow you for life!

Certainly, they will follow you for a long time, if the conditions surrounding their allegiance are optimal!

Let’s just be honest…

Take the military and the fact that people join the organization when they’re young.

Never mind that many of them join because they don’t think they have other options.

So, considering this example of the military…

How many people do you know, that served, who stand by that organization 100%?

I know a few people who served, and some are fans and others are not!

But, mainly… those who joined the military “when they were young and dumb,” which is most people (again, being honest), do support the organization.

It’s time to be aware of what entities like this, are doing to our young people.

And, that includes going to college (which, to me, is far from being a bad thing).

Hmmm. Perhaps that’s why the current U.S.’ administration and its supporters have become increasingly outspoken about “not getting an education.”

by mentallyillinamerica

I Think A Lot About How I Function

I don’t do that well!

The difference between now and at any point in my life before I was diagnosed, is significant!

I just want to be able to be more consistent in my day to day life!

I have a schedule… one that I’ve been working on for quite some time.

And, I am experimenting with the number of hours I sleep every night.

I really don’t see an end in sight to my suffering though…

I’d like to be transparent with you!

Mental illness has robbed me of a lot!

That said, I have a lot too!

A wife, her family, my mom, a dog, this community…

How cool is that?

All of it!

It’s all great!

I am seriously grateful for the people (and dog) I count on, to help brighten my day!

I just would have liked my life to turn out differently.

I would have liked to have been a therapist.

But, I don’t function all that well with what I am dealing with, and there is zero let up of persistent symptoms.

FYI There aren’t many people with schizophrenia leading therapy groups.

Peer groups, perhaps…

But, not all out therapy sessions!

Oh well…

These are just my thoughts!

And, I have accepted my situation for what it is…

I recognize that many people are not doing what they would have enjoyed doing, if given the chance.

As for me… this is what I can do!

So, I am doing it!

by mentallyillinamerica

I Am Reminded That There Is Good In People

I am sad at the moment.

I feel like I am somewhat lost amid my beliefs.

Part of the problem is that I am looking for a label for them.

And, I haven’t quite found the right one.

Oh well, it will come… I hope.

My beliefs:

Christian belief in Jesus and the Resurrection.

My non-belief:

Evangelicalism.

And, for the record, I don’t think that anyone gets through life unscathed!

So, I wanted to mention that, and say too, that I am extremely grateful for the good!

The good in people namely!

As, I believe it does exist…

I want to believe in it anyhow…

It has to be somewhere, right?

What do you think? Is there good in people? What kinds of examples do you see?

by mentallyillinamerica

Helping Others, 20 Years After My Diagnosis

Why don’t a lot of people with severe mental illness realize that they are ill?

This is a good question for my former self. 🙂

Many individuals who exhibit signs of severe mental illnesses, such as bipolar or schizophrenia, don’t in fact realize that they are ill.

The signs are all there to some of us (and to all of the medical personnel), but they just don’t appear to the person suffering.

And, it gets quite tricky to treat people in a situation like what I am describing, which is why we have inpatient holds that last 24-72 hours, depending on the state.

The takeaway from this situation, is that it is fairly common to treat someone for a severe mental health condition, yet they may go months and even years not believing they have one.

It’s profoundly sad, and I am grateful that I, for one, am aware of not only my diagnosis, but of how I can help others 20 years into it (via this blog).

Thanks for reading!