Be the person who creates something that would have changed your life. You never know whose life you could save.

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I know it's easy to forget, but we still live in a world where serious stigma surrounding mental health exists.

As creators, we have been blessed with the opportunity to help diminish that stigma.

It is so important to create characters and stories that represent these problems because they exist. These are real people with real struggles, and they deserve to see themselves in media.

Sober Up Sunday 24/03/24

This does not make a man weak, or less of a man. A man who is in touch with himself and comfortable and strong enough to express themselves, that is a real man. Men are losing their lives, Black men, Black CHILDREN!!! In particular, because society says it’s not okay,but it is okay…. It is deep and acknowledgment and unification are all vital to empowering men…. Be strong for your man as he should be for you, too. Or your brother, father, cousin, friend, … we need to get the village mentality back…

Why don't I see any posts about P.S. I Love You Day?!!?!?

Probably because y'all are old and not in school

P.S I Love You Day is a day for mental health and suicide awareness!! We wear purple and pink and red and remind each other that we're loved with messages on hearts! Today we had an event called "warm and fuzzies" where everyone got a necklace that had a bundle of little pieces of yarn. People exchanged yarn and complimented each other, and at the end, they had almost completely different colored necklaces! It was great!

I don't think this should be limited to just schools! Wear purple if you can today!! I think that would be really great!

Week 1 - Assignment: Examine Personal Beliefs Related to Substance Abuse

Week 1 - Assignment: Examine Personal Beliefs Related to Substance Abuse

Zachary Gaboriault

National University

PSYC-6110 V3

Dr. John Mitchell

April 16, 2023

Substance use and abuse has been a sore topic for me. I was surrounded by substance abuse from a young age and continued to watch it consume members of my family and friend group, including several ex-girlfriends, mother, two aunts, and more.  It took many years to learn and come to terms with this fact and, although it was initially a sad reality for me at such a young age, I came to learn what addiction was at a young age. In this regard I suppose it prepared me for the temptations of teenage and early adulthood because I was already armed with knowledge of what substance use and abuse looked like, how it progressed, and what the end-stage looks like. Over the course of this blog entry, I will seek to define substance abuse, as well as answer the following questions:

What is meant by the statement that substance abuse occurs on a continuum? Do you accept this idea, or do you think that there are fundamentally different characteristics that separate substance use from substance abuse or addiction?

The costs of substance use disorders in society are significant. What are some of the specific contributing factors that are behind some of these costs?

Do you think that the problem of substance abuse is blown out of proportion by the media, or perhaps underreported? Explain your position.

It is my hope that this blog entry not only be informative but be a cautionary tale for those who have wondered these same questions as well as those who have dealt or are currently dealing with substance abuse in their family/friend group. Frequent substance use and abuse are overall very dangerous and we shall discuss further details as we progress.

So, what exactly is substance abuse? More commonly referred to as drug abuse, the term substance abuse refers to an individual’s usage of legal or illegal products that are detrimental to one’s health in order to achieve an altered physical and/or mental state. Methods usually vary between breathing them in, snorting them up the nose or injecting them into the bloodstream (Wulffson, R. L., MD. 2022). The list of substances is long and can range anywhere from readily available substances, like caffeine, nicotine or over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, to more deadly substances such as cocaine or heroin. Substance use occurs on a spectrum that starts with non-use. The end of the spectrum would be categorized as the opposite of non-use, which is dependent use, meaning the individual abuses the substance compulsively and requires it in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. In-between these stages, and in order of severity, include experimental use (where somebody is curious about the effects of using it but is unsure), recreational use (where somebody is utilizing a substance recreationally and mostly situationally, like drinking alcohol or taking drugs only before they go to a nightclub), and regular use (where somebody ingests a substance on a scheduled basis, such as always drinking on a Friday night after receiving a paycheck) (2). This idea is one that I accept and makes sense, both on paper and in real-life situations I have observed. A particular situation I witnessed was a friend of mine was curious about ecstacy after becoming involved in the nightclub scene and began using it every time they went to the club, thus constituting recreational use. Even with this recreational use though, the next-day side-effects were quite severe and often included feelings of depression, fatigue and suicidal thoughts.

When someone is diagnosed with a substance use disorder (a.k.a drug addiction) there is no cure for it, as there would be a cure for a physical wound you treat with antibiotics and a bandage. Substance use disorder requires treatment that can take months or even years and can be something that the diagnosed person has to deal with for the rest of their life. This is where treatment for a substance use disorder can become costly because the diagnosed person must meet with licensed professionals who can diagnose them, treat them, and sometimes prescribe them medication to help in the process of becoming sober. Many people diagnosed with a substance use disorder find relief in behavior therapy, which attempts to get to the root of their maladaptive behaviors but requires many sessions before real progress can be made (Spiegler, M. D. 2023). There are some free options when it comes to obtaining some form of therapy, including peer-support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, but attaining sobriety has a higher success rate when multiple methods are combined that includes therapy, support groups and medication if necessary.  

When it comes to how media reports topics such as substance use and abuse, in my opinion, a lot of the articles are accompanied with titles that almost come across as clickbait. Many mainstream media sources try their best to maximize their reach and views, so a clickbait title that grabs your attention and makes you want to read it is their goal. It would seem that is their only goal though, as most reporting of substance use and abuse do not offer honest reporting that includes helpful information and resources people can use to get help, but rather include politics and scare tactics that benefit them, not the reader. This only works to increase the stigma surrounding mental health and mental health disorders, the larger umbrellas that substance use disorders fall under. In general, individuals struggling with mental health issues like substance use disorder feel embarrassed talking about it and seeking treatment, because they are afraid to be perceived as weak by their friends and family. In fact, in the year 2020 only 46.2% of Americans diagnosed with a mental illness received treatment for it (Harmon, A. 2023). We should all be working together to eliminate the stigma of seeking and obtaining treatment for mental illness across the board.  

References

Continuum of Substance Use and Abuse -. (2020, October 8). https://alcoholrehab.com/drug addiction/continuum-of-substance-use-and-abuse/

Harmon, A. (2023). Mental health stigma . Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.

Spiegler, M. D. (2023). Behavior therapy. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health

Wulffson, R. L., MD. (2022). Substance abuse. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.

I mean, I'm on a cocktail of mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics/anti-anxiety, and anti-depressants just to function, but OCD isn't "a real mental illness" and is "not really that serious". Sure, okay.

BUT YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON, THEN.

I do! It's called being super tired and irritable from having to defend my diagnosis from mental illness gatekeepers all the time. 😒

Speaking as someone who lives with mental illness, who struggled and suffered for decades with undiagnosed and unacknowledged  CPTSD, with a side of Depression and Generalized Anxiety, (who continues to struggle and live with it) I know how difficult and scary a mental health crisis can be.

I also know how vicious and ruthless and cruel the political world is.

So I am incredibly grateful to Senator Fetterman for getting mental health care without shame or apology. His courage saved lives. There are people today and in the coming days who are willing to seek mental health care, because he spoke openly and without shame about his own mental health.

Depression and mental illness affects EVERYONE, and when people who have enormous public profiles speak about their experiences, it chips away at the stigma that has claimed too many lives.

I am not a United States Senator, but I know this is absolutely true, because people have told me that my public journey to care for my mental health and heal my trauma gave them what they needed to make the appointment and begin their own journey.

My heart is with Senator Fetterman and his family. I wish them all the best. I know how tough this is. How scary it can be. How Depression will see the struggle and just pour lie after lie after lie over you, trying its best to make you believe you deserve or are responsible for it.

All of that is bullshit. Depression lies.

I want to remind anyone who is struggling with their mental health, who is just *so tired* of feeling all the things Depression and its buddies try to drown us with that IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY. It's not shameful or weak to ask for help. It's courageous, and you deserve to be helped by people who have dedicated their lives to helping us get better.If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that help is available when you're ready. If you are in the United States, you can dial 988 from any phone to speak with a counselor who is ready for you.

i did my nails… and only cried a little today.

About to record my video for you all to consume on schedule 💖😮‍💨😬🥴🥱🤭🤗

support ur local local longtime lameass loony 👍🏽😮‍💨

episode1 comes out tomorrow or i shave my eye brows

jk why would you want that bestie, are you good? 👁️👁️

reminder that this blog supports and loves (/p) people with NPD, HPD, ASPD, AVPD, BPD, psychosis, delusions, schizophrenia, schizospec disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, intrusive thoughts, violent urges, DID/OSDD/UDD, trauma disorders, dissociative disorders, bipolar disorder, level 2/3 autistics, and any other stigmatized disorder or condition!

Guys LOOK they made a schizospec Palm Pal and I am absolutely living for it she is now my personal mascot

This actually means so much to me, it's a step in the right direction to fight stigma, get kids (and other Palm Pals-enjoyers) more openminded about accepting people with unfairly severely stigmatized mental illness 🩶 thank you for the representation, Aurora

You are not, and never will, be alone.

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I didn't want to include this in the last post because it's a little triggering, so there is a warning for that, but following the same train...

For a really long time, I thought I was the only person suffering the way I was. I was in a very, very bad place for a long time. It wasn't until I found artists struggling with similar issues expressing them through different medias that I realized I wasn't as alone as I thought.

That saved my life.

A stupid little song saved me from trying to kill myself.

I bet you that band never thought while they were in their garage writing a little tune that that one day they would have the power through words to save a human life. I mean, why would you, right? But to know it's that easy, that it's as simple as saying "you aren't alone," wouldn't you want to do that?

Talking about and sharing your mental health isn't easy. Trust me, just writing this little bit was hard, but we owe it to ourselves.

We owe it to look ourselves in the face and say, "You deserve to be here."

We also owe it to those coming after us to show them that they need to do the same.

END MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA

Sober Up Sunday 24/03/24

Things to remember. Be informed of the symptoms of trauma & other serious mental illnesses- the problem isn’t the symptom, it’s a *product* of trauma.

For anyone who needs to hear this today! ❤️

do you think alternia has any docs who actually take care of bpd patients or do you think it's even worse than here?

(TW: self harm/suicide)

I took a video of my morning shaky hands, trying to scoop my mushroom coffee into my mug this morning. I thought it would look fake because I was holding the camera close to my body, so the camera wouldn't be shaky. But the camera was shaky as well. 😅 I was holding the spoon loosely (I think that makes it look fake, too), but the tighter I hold, the more I shake.

So, yeah, this is my body on anxiety meds and mood stabilizers. But this would also be my body on anxiety and migraines. I think I shake more on the meds than off, and I'm also very forgetful, but without them I lose my mind, and scream a lot, smack myself in the head, and try to kill myself, because it feels like there are demons in my head and my brain is trying to escape. So.

Anyway. I just wanted to share. I have a wonderful life. I'm in an amazing relationship. We love where we live, and have lots of dogs and bunnies to make us happy. I'm a pet portrait artist. I have three good friends, and hobbies. And I'm mentally ill, so I take my meds, and go to therapy when needed. I also have autoimmune diseases that make me chronically ill and fatigued. None of this is the end of the world for me. It's not easy, but I lead a pretty rich and fulfilling life.

Anyway, I'm glad I'm on the meds. But my memory is so bad, that I immediately forgot that I had made coffee, walked away, and then started going, "Wait, didn't I make coffee? Where is it?"

It was on the kitchen table, next to some cactuses. And, I know I shouldn't be making coffee on my laptop, but... I did. So yeah, I guess I do things I shouldn't sometimes. Oh well! 🤷

💚 Mental Health Matters Badges, for Mental Health Awareness week in May