Mental Health Resources Don’t Stop at the Suicide Hotline; Our Advocacy Shouldn’t Either
Chances are, if you’ve seen any of the suicide prevention awareness efforts of mental health advocates, you’ve heard about suicide hotlines. Suicide hotlines are one of the most prominent and visible outreach methods for preventing suicide. Their numbers are frequently shared by celebrities, schools, doctors offices, politicians, and companies. A song with the number of […]
My Eating Disorder Isn’t About Being a Certain Size or Shape, Here’s What It’s Really About:
Unbeknownst to the majority, eating disorders aren’t really about food, weight and shape. Here’s what my ED is really about. When I tell someone I have anorexia nervosa their initial response often consists of them reassuring me that I am not fat, that I shouldn’t worry about how I look and that I should just […]
I Am Tired of Carrying These Cups: Social Model Theory of Disability
Let’s start with a hypothetical scenario: You live in a world where for one reason or another you can only drink from red cups. Maybe this rule is from birth or maybe you have acquired it recently, but it is now permanent. Now in your house, this isn’t too bad, you just buy red cups. […]
Comic Books and PTSD: a Quest for Representation
A few weeks ago, I had my day made by a comic book. I had been browsing my local comic shop when I came across a superhero comic in the teen section. I don’t read many superhero stories, and I had never read a DC young adult book before, but I decided to give it […]
It’s Okay to Grieve the Life You’ve Missed Out On
Because of my mental health, I have missed out on more things in life than I ever would have expected. Granted, I am also much more mentally ill then I would have expected: over the past six years a number of mental illnesses have worked their way into my brain, taking up much of my […]
My Mental Illness is My Fault, That’s What Society Led Me to Believe
An exploration of mental illness; how guilt and blame fit into the equation. My disorder is fuelled by self-hatred. If she* can keep me trapped in a self-abusive cycle she has me all to herself. Guilt therefore, comes in handy to her. My guilt stems from my diagnosis. My illness is reinforced by this guilt. […]