Enjoy!

This week at Mental Health Notes, I praised Britney Spears and Kellie Pickler, pointed you in the direction of Ingrid Newkirk’s video about One Can Make a Difference, gushed on and on about why I love being a mental health blogger, and participated in Blog Action Day 2008.

Regarding mental health advocacy, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance has posted DBSA e-Update October 2008 (lots of good stuff in there!) and the new Mrs. United States, Dr. Gariane Gunter, is dedicating her reign to raising public awareness of mental illness.

In the world of mental health news, the World Health Organization is warning that our global financial crisis may increase mental health problems (that’s a real no-brainer), Governor Timothy M. Kaine (of Virginia, and, is it just me or do I mention him a lot?) wants to cut $86.6 million from mental health, health, and human resources agencies, and WSJ’s Health Blog reports depression is one of the top reasons for missing work (and Gov. Kaine wants to cut funding?).

Here at b5media’s Health & Wellness Channel, October’s theme day was just one of the things we were busy with!

• Mary Emma Allen featured one of my comments about nursing homes in The Positive Side of Nursing Homes for Alzheimer’s Patients.
• Kristen King of Lively Women is holding a contest to win – you’re not gonna believe this – an Epson WorkForce 600 All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer! Actually, she has TWO, so your odds of winning just increased. The deadline is October 20, 2008 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET (that’s tonight, folks!). (Kristen also has an interview with Leslie Haywood up. Leslie is the creator of Grill Charms and has just released The Pink Collection which will help raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
• Mark made a good point about God and his non-puppeteerism (not a word, I know, forgive me) at A Dozen Steps.
• Kristina Chew started a discussion about legislation dealing with insurance coverage for autism treatment at Autism Vox.
• Angelique wants to know how much time you dedicate to self-loathing.
• At Eating Fabulous, Ruth Schaffer talked about using St. John’s Wort as an antidepressant.
• At Healthbolt, Liz Lewis has a round up of contests for your perusal.
• Grace Ibay has listed five tips for taking stock of your medicine cabinet.

Image: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Monday Sanity: Better Late Than Never

Enjoy!

Post from: Blisstree

b5media Represents Blog Action Day 2008

Topic: Poverty. All day long.

Me: Clueless. Until last night.

It’s not like I couldn’t think of any way to blog about the various connections between mental health and poverty. My problem was, I couldn’t think of any new way to approach the subjects.

Sure, I could’ve talked about how needing mental health care but having no money can result in big problems, but really, that’s common sense.

Or, I could’ve offered some tips on paying for prescription medications when you don’t have health insurance, but I don’t like plagiarizing. Even myself.

There’s a smorgasbord of research regarding mental health and poverty – everything from poverty-stricken children having a higher risk of developing mental health problems to money relieving mental illness symptoms – but none of it fanned my flames.

So, I started asking myself some questions. What have I done to try to alleviate poverty? What tips could I offer others who want to join the fight against poverty?

Well, I’ve donated money, both to organized charity and to individuals. Not a whole lot, but what I could afford. I continue to participate in virtual volunteering and “click to donate” programs. I helped spread the word about how my state’s NAMI affiliation can sometimes work to provide basic needs like transportation and home appliances to poor mental health consumers.

And still, none of it seemed like enough.

I then asked myself, “What would I like to do to spread awareness about poverty and mental health that I haven’t yet – for whatever reason – done?”

I decided I would like to talk to the people who are poverty-stricken. The people who deal with mental health issues brought about by poverty, the people who have found themselves in poverty because of untreated mental health issues, and the people who I see are at risk for developing mental health problems because they’re currently struggling with poverty.

Because I can’t currently talk to these people face-to-face (and because, even if I could, I wouldn’t post their private conversations for the public!), I chose to write them letters instead.

These letters are to people I’ve met throughout my life, and I’m willing to bet most of you have encountered people similar to the “recipients” of these letters.

Of Poverty And Problem Children: What I wish I knew, and had done, when I was in school.

Of Poverty And Homeless Bums: Lessons I learned after encountering a homeless man, and how I’ve tried to teach them to others.

Of Poverty And Friends: A letter to someone who’s a bit closer to home.

If you participated in Blog Action Day 2008, leave a link to your post in the comments. Let’s talk about it.

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day 2008 Round Up: Poverty And Mental Health

Dear Friend,

You’ve experienced some serious blows over the past year. Our country’s current economic status left you jobless – twice – and now that your parents are gone, you have no family members to help you. Your friends – old and new – have done what they can, but your bills are piling up, you have no money for groceries more often than not, and you don’t have a car, much less the good credit or steady employment to afford one.

And the battle to get financial assistance seems never ending and unwinnable.

Like some of your other friends, I’ve helped you out when I can. But I can almost physically feel the depression that’s setting in with you each time I talk with you. You don’t laugh as often as you used to. You aren’t as optimistic as you once were. You don’t make plans, or sleep at night, or care about your appearance anymore.

Sometimes I feel like there’s a wall between us. I feel your frustration, worry, anger, and sadness, but you won’t listen to me when I ask you to seek help. You’re sinking and I don’t know what else to do about it. I wish you’d make an appointment at the community mental health center. Please. You don’t have to have insurance.

You interviewed for a job last week, and it looks as though you may get it. I pray you do. And I hope your plans for transportation work out until you can buy a car. I honestly wonder whether you can handle any more setbacks. I want you to know I will continue helping you in any way I can. Even if it means taking a day to drive up there and get you to an appointment.

Love,

Alicia

Post from: Blisstree

Of Poverty And Friends

Dear Homeless Bum on the Street,

You and I don’t know each other, but I saw you ranting and raving on the side of the street one day while on vacation in a city much bigger than my own. I was standing outside a restaurant with my family and friends, waiting for a table to open up. You were walking up and down the sidewalk, waving your bottle of liquor around and screaming about aliens and the government.

Although my party tried to discourage it, I was intrigued and moved closer to you. I wanted to hear what you were saying. I thought you knew something I didn’t. I couldn’t understand why no one else was interested. Didn’t they want to know, too?

Once I was a few feet away from you, I saw that your clothes were dirty and torn. I saw the matted dirt in your beard. I wondered what mysteries were crammed into the sack on your back. I smelled urine.

I listened as you yelled at everyone who passed by. You yelled about government conspiracies. About how the aliens let you in on the government’s secret plans. You smiled a nearly toothless smile at me, and I didn’t know if you were happy or delusional. You took swig after swig from your liquor bottle, and you slung it down an alley once you drained it.

Sensing the situation was escalating, I moved away from you. Soon, my family and friends and I were called to our table in the restaurant.

I came to the conclusion that day, Mr. Homeless Bum on the Street, that you weren’t a bum. You were someone who perhaps grew up in poverty, or hit a rough patch that hurled you into poverty. Maybe a combination of mental health problems and poverty led you to your home on the street. Maybe a mix of poor economic luck and your home on the street led you to have mental health problems. And I still couldn’t understand why no one else was interested.

I will probably never see you again, poor homeless man, but I’ve never forgotten the lessons your presence taught me that day on vacation. And I never pass up the chance to explain possible underlying reasons for what seem like apathetic, bumming circumstances – even to those who aren’t interested.

I hope you’ve found help,

Alicia

Post from: Blisstree

Of Poverty And Homeless Bums

Dear Problem Child,

You and I went to school together. We weren’t really friends, but we weren’t enemies, either. We simply belonged to different cliques. We simply participated in different activities. We simply had different families and we simply lived different lives.

While I was acing most of my tests, you skipped class to smoke pot. While I was organizing the next pep rally, you were choosing the next kid you were going to beat up. While I was freaking out over a cheating boyfriend, you were giving birth to your third child. While I was opening Christmas presents, you were…I don’t know what you were doing.

My memories don’t have that license. My memories aren’t allowed to go beyond school property. My memories don’t drive home the fact that nothing was simple.

I expect your memories are a bit different, though.

I expect you remember listening to your parents scream at each other about losing another job. Watching them get drunk with the money that could’ve paid for your ticket for the class trip. Hearing them guffaw when you talked about college. Feeling so consumed with anger you lashed out at every student who was too small, too wealthy, too smart, or too well behaved. Rolling your eyes at the teacher on detention duty who told you you’d never succeed. Looking forward to blowing off your afternoon classes to finally find some relief, however temporary, in getting high.

You probably recall the other kids laughing at the clothes you wore year after year. Telling yourself it was best not to let anyone get too close, in case they wanted to visit your house some day. Lest they saw the bruises on your back. Crying in your room at night, wondering why you should care about yourself or anyone else when it seemed like no one in the entire world cared about you.

My memories showcase a problem child. Yours tell the story of growing up in poverty.

I don’t know you anymore, but I want you to know I wish I hadn’t thought our differences were simply due to different preferences. Different interests. Different choices.

I want you to know I wish I’d been a friend to you, or, at the very least, had known then what I know now and had reached out to you. Helped you deal with your anger, and sadness, and depression.

I want you to know that it’s because of what I know now that I find it impossible to be selfish with kind words, friendly smiles, and a helping hand.

Sincerely,

Alicia

Post from: Blisstree

Of Poverty And Problem Children

Have any of you bloggers heard of, or perhaps participated in, Blog Action Day? I think I remember it last year, but thanks to Marijke of Help My Hurt and Womb Within, I know about it early enough this year to participate.In a nutshell:

Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. Our aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion.

Poverty is the topic for Blog Action Day 2008, which is scheduled for October 15. I’ve registered Mental Health Notes to take part in this event, and am really interested in seeing what I can come with regarding a mental health spin.

About a thousand different ideas have already popped into my mind.

If you’re not a blogger (or, even if you are), and have a suggestion on how to write about poverty and mental health for Blog Action Day 2008, feel free to leave your ideas in the comments!

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty (And Mental Health?)