Considering how prevalent mental illness is, especially in women, why do so few bloggers talk about it? Many mention it in passing but I wanted to put it, and feminism, to the forefront.
I have chosen to leave out certain details of my life because my friends and family do not know I write this blog. While this could be interpreted as evidence of shame for my illness or the internalization of stigma, I have made this choice for one particular reason. I want to write without censoring myself. To know that those closest to me may be reading my entries would affect how and what I write. Due to the nature of my illness, often it is not a choice as to whether or not I want to disclose the intimate details of my experience. To this end, I feel that the people around me know more than enough about my experience. I want to be able to unfurl my thoughts regarding my mental illness and my feminist ideology; to create the safe space for me to do this required a certain level of annonymity from those in my immediate life.
I hope I can connect to others who have had experience with mental illness, especially those who have in the past or currently suffer from a disorder/disorders. Talking with those who share experiences can be very liberating and can help to clarify ones own life!
I hope you can take something from this blog, whatever that may be.
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in the mind of a crazy feminist: a space where feminist ideology and the experience of mental illness can unfurl
Welcome
Considering how prevalent mental illness is, why do so few bloggers talk about it?
The aim of this blog is to write about my experience with mental illness, developments in my life as well as issues in the field of mental health all the while keeping a feminist framework.
I hope you can take something from this blog, whatever that may be.
The aim of this blog is to write about my experience with mental illness, developments in my life as well as issues in the field of mental health all the while keeping a feminist framework.
I hope you can take something from this blog, whatever that may be.
About Me
About my writing style
While I can be described as generally quite pessimistic and passionate (others would say angry) person, most of what I write here is never really 'angry', but rather the result of having had to bottle up frustrations. As an active feminist activist I am often frustrated with the wall one often faces because of ingrained sexism and other forms of discrimination that penetrates all levels of our society; but as an activist I have an outlet to release this frustration and 'do something about it'. With my experience of mental illness I have had to bottle these feelings because, it seems, my friends and family feel uncomfortable if I talk about it, my doctors sure do not want to hear about it, and often I have enough self doubt that even I will disregard its importance.
But here, I get to release these experiences and frustrations. I get to get them off my chest and work through them in my own way.
So if I sounds angry, its probably just frustration with a healthy dose of sarcasm. ; )
But here, I get to release these experiences and frustrations. I get to get them off my chest and work through them in my own way.
So if I sounds angry, its probably just frustration with a healthy dose of sarcasm. ; )
A short history
Age of first diagnoses: 17
Number of diagnoses given: 4
Number of relapses: 4
Years of psychotherapy: 2.5
Number of perscriptions tried: 6
'Alternative' treatments: accupuncture
Years of my life affected: over 10
Number of relationships affected/destroyed: all but one
Job/volunteer position offers withdrawn directly because of my diagnosis: 3
Favorite strange side effect: yawning
Number of diagnoses given: 4
Number of relapses: 4
Years of psychotherapy: 2.5
Number of perscriptions tried: 6
'Alternative' treatments: accupuncture
Years of my life affected: over 10
Number of relationships affected/destroyed: all but one
Job/volunteer position offers withdrawn directly because of my diagnosis: 3
Favorite strange side effect: yawning
My feminist beginings
I never considered myself a feminist until I was 21 and in my third year of university. I told my roomate in a low voice,
"I think I am a feminist".
It was if it was a dark confession.
Now it is one of the ways I define myself and I believe it shapes how others see me. I like that it does.
"I think I am a feminist".
It was if it was a dark confession.
Now it is one of the ways I define myself and I believe it shapes how others see me. I like that it does.
A note on "experts"
It becomes apparent quickly that I am a bit skeptical of the knowledge we have of psychology/psychiatry. My extensive experience with doctors of all sorts has only convinced me that at times psychology/psychiatry are pseudo sciences. What I mean by this is that the people who study and practice these fields - those we call "experts" - often do not know how the mind works, boundaries of diagnoses often blur and there is little awareness of why some treatments work when others do not. Psychiatric drugs are litterally a shot in the dark because often scientists do not know how or why they work, research just tells them that sometimes they do. Diagnoses are at times laughable in how vague and inadequate they are. (How many of us has heard, "you have (bipolar) tendencies" or "characteristics of (obessive compulsive disorder)".)
BUT, to make myself clear, I am not angry toward or dismiss the role of these "experts", they are doing the best they can with limited knowledge. But thats just it... how can anyone be a true expert when so little is known of a subject?
BUT, to make myself clear, I am not angry toward or dismiss the role of these "experts", they are doing the best they can with limited knowledge. But thats just it... how can anyone be a true expert when so little is known of a subject?
Blogathon 2009
Visit blogathon.org for more information on how you can participate
Blog Archive
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2009
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July
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- Some last Blogathon Information
- "Funny" Blogathon Moments (not all of them were th...
- Catching up on sleep is hard to do...
- Ta Da!
- Haiku #10
- So close!!
- Haiku #9
- Haiku #8
- 3:30 and im not too asleep
- Haiku #7
- Fun with Feminism
- something fun
- Haiku Post #6
- what are you doing RIGHT NOW?
- Haiku post #5
- Haiku post #4
- Haiku series #2 and #3
- haiku series #1
- visits visits
- A mental Illness themed movie I wont be watching
- The best theme song ever
- Senior depression
- a little bit lighter now...
- better than..
- drugs.. the 'good' kind
- Direct me!
- half way!
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Takin' er easy
- Triggers
- Movies that make me question my sanity #3
- What do psychiatric hospitals look like today?
- Shows with mentally ill characters: the good
- Shows with Mentally Ill characters: the bad
- Whats up? Post
- Do you suffer from a mental illness?
- Movies that make me question my sanity #2
- So what do you have?
- Stats and more stats
- Watch your words
- Great Blogs
- Good mental illness themed movies #2
- time stamp
- Movies that make me question my sanity #1
- Good mental illness themed movies #1
- Urg.. the perfectionist in me
- New side bar feature
- Blogathon: planned activities for me!
- Crazy: reclaiming or just insensitive?
- Are you normal?
- "Did you forget about other people?"
- *new blogger alert*
- My head is fuzzy..it will get better!
- Blogathon 2009
- The Game
- Mood Disorders Society of Canada
- Mad Pride: Who Knew?
- Blogathon 2009
- Fearing one's self
- Rethink's 'Time to Change' summer campaign
- Some Stats from the Mood Disorders Society of Canada
- Why this blog?
- Coming soon
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