Continue reading]]>  
 

The good folks over at GoodTherapy.org invited me to join them for a Q&A session to discuss mental health stigma, and therapy issues pertaining to dissociative identity disorder — and I accepted!

I mention how PTSD is becoming stereotyped in that every time a veteran commits suicide or violence against others, the news media connects “PTSD = unstable and violent.” It does a disservice to all veterans, as well as to anyone else diagnosed with PTSD.

I also discuss my therapy process for dissociative identity disorder, especially in the early years of my treatment, and describe what I believe should be the goal as far as “integration” is concerned.

So come on over to Becoming One Every Day: An Interview with Author Sarah Olson, and feel free to join in on the great conversation already ongoing in the comments!
 
 

Continue reading]]> This week’s focus: Suicide Prevention Resources

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

Please Share My Stuff! You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

‏@BeyondMeds “You are not a drop in the ocean,
you are the entire ocean in a drop.” ~ Rumi

Some Tweets to Ponder

@800273TALK “There is nothing deep down inside us except what we have put there ourselves.” ~ Richard Rorty

@DalaiLama “When we are caught up in a destructive emotion, we lose one of our greatest assets: our independence.”

@PemaQuotes “Whatever arises, we can look at it with a nonjudgmental attitude.” ~ Pema Chödrön

@LillyAnn “Stand so strong in your knowledge of self that you allow no other person to define you.” ~ J. Perkins

@HealthyPlace “I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.” ~ Johnny Depp

Linked Tweets

The September 11th Anniversary

@MentalHelpNet News Coverage of 9/11 and PTSD
[SEO: “There is accumulating evidence that repeated viewing of traumatic events on television cause symptoms of PTSD even if you were never traumatized before. Studies show that watching four hours of television images per day of soldiers at war or of other terrorist attacks results in psychological and physical damage, such as high blood pressure and heart attacks.”]

[ETA: Both of these art therapy links displayed below as broken are not. And I can’t figure out why they display as such. Just click on the links, and both will take you to the correct posts at Psychology Today.]

@TheCatAndTheKey What Art Therapy Learned from September 11th
[SEO: “Repeated exposure to traumatic events impacts the content of children’s art. As I have noted in previous posts, ‘when trauma happens, children draw.’ … And this innate impulse to communicate through creative expression is more than just another picture or just ‘pretend’ — it reflects the neuropsychological nature of trauma itself.” Read both articles for greater understanding of how art therapy helps to resolve trauma.]

National Suicide Prevention Week

@PsychCentral World Suicide Prevention Day 2012
[SEO: “Between ages 10 and 55, suicide is one of the top four reasons people die in the U.S. every year. Yet you hear more about heart disease, HIV, diabetes and cancer on the nightly news than you ever do about this fatal but preventable problem. Why is that?”

“Society and the media appear to continue to believe — and through their belief, reinforce — the lies and the half-truths about suicide. Today is a day to end your own false beliefs about suicide.”]

@natasha_tracy We Must Talk about Suicide to Prevent It
[SEO: “I don’t believe we will be able to successfully prevent suicide until we learn to talk about it. No one wants to admit to thinking about suicide and that’s in spite of the fact that between 10-14 percent of the general population has considered it. That’s more than one-in-ten people that have contemplated something that we can’t bring ourselves to talk about.”]

@BeyondMeds Comedian Chris Gethard Reaches Out To Anonymous Suicidal Fan With Long, Heartfelt Message
[SEO: “As a comedian and storyteller, Chris Gethard’s comedy has always come from a personal place, but nothing could be more personal than the lengthy, heartfelt response to an anonymous question he posted on Tumblr Tuesday night.”

“‘Anonymous’ asked Gethard, who wrote at length about his psychological issues in his memoir A Bad Idea I’m About To Do, if he has ever had suicidal thoughts, and went on to express his own troubles with anxiety and depression. Within minutes, the comedian got to work on a response that reads as a powerful essay on finding the strength to anticipate better times in life.” Truly remarkable, please take the time to read Gethard’s post to Anonymous.]

@SarahEOlson2009 It’s Suicide Prevention Week: Here’s My Personal Story (via Capturing Moments Blog)
[SEO: “If I could say one thing to my Mom, it would be Please Don’t Go. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, and there are things that I will never understand, but there is no greater pain that I have experienced. Nothing that has shaped my life more then the day that my mother committed suicide.”]

@ssanquist Matters of Substance: Supporting Suicide Survivors
[SEO: “I have heard family members say that they feel they can’t grieve in the same way that they would have done had the person they lost died of a car accident or of cancer. The stigma surrounding suicide means many survivors suffer alone and in silence. This silence impacts their grieving.”]

Continue reading]]> This week’s focus:
Mental Health News; and Male Abuse Survivors

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

Please Share My Stuff! You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@PsychCentral “Life’s challenges
are not supposed to paralyze you,
they’re supposed to help you discover
who you are.” ~ Bernice Johnson Reago

Some Tweets to Ponder

@WisdomalaCarte “What can you do when your dreams come true, and it’s not quite like you planned?” ~ The Eagles

@rcinstitute “Truthful Tuesday: knowing the truth begins with facing your real feelings and needs.”

@healthyplace “A great deal of the chaos in the world occurs because people don’t appreciate themselves.” ~ Chögyam Trungpa

@zebraspolkadots “Identifying the problem is one thing…when we begin to identify ourselves by our problems another… you are more than your past.”

@Tamavista “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” ~ Carl Rogers

Linked Tweets

Mental Health News

‏@NAMIMass How Depressives Surf the Web. If an app were available would you use it?
[SEO: “In a study … we and our colleagues found that students who showed signs of depression tended to use the Internet differently from those who showed no symptoms of depression.” Explains their methodology and conclusions.

Their long term goal is to create an app that would warn you if your Internet usage changed in ways to suggest you are depressed and need to seek help. This would eventually include notifying school counselors — without your knowledge or consent? They don’t say. They do acknowledge that privacy concerns “would need to be addressed”. Yes, in a hugely transparent way.]

@fearlessnation PTSD News: 1 in 8 heart patients suffer PTSD
[SEO: “Any life-threatening event can leave a person with symptoms of PTSD. Now a new study finds not only that a heart attack can lead to PTSD but PTSD can double a person’s risk of future cardiac events and death.”]

PTSD Awareness Month – cont’d

@samhsagov Millions of Americans are affected by PTSD. To find resources and more, read our latest Blog.
[SEO: A good basic resource with many embedded links to take your research further. Describes what PTSD is, its symptoms, and how to find help for it.]

‏@PsychCentral Trauma: It’s Not Just Jargon And It Hurts
[SEO: This is excellent. Explains in greater depth what trauma is, and offers examples that might not seem obvious, such as homelessness; witnessing violence; living through war; and less extreme examples, such as repeated incidents of bullying. Discusses symptoms of trauma and how trauma is dealt with.]

Male Survivors of Child Abuse

@DrKathleenYoung Today, sex abuse victims are less alone
[SEO: An excellent CNN Opinion post, it focuses on how the Sandusky trial may facilitate men, especially, to come forward for help to resolve childhood trauma.

“So a case such as this with male victims coming forward, explaining how conflicted they felt, why it took them so long, what it did to their lives, but nonetheless giving convincing testimony that has clearly been believed by the prosecutors and much of the press, this certainly must give other boys and men some sense of possibility.”]

@DrKathleenYoung 1in6, Inc. and RAINN Join Forces to Provide a 24/7 Support Line for Men who were Sexually Abused as Children
[SEO: “‘The current sexual abuse trials in the media will be an enormously triggering event for the millions of sexually abused men who will be inundated by the media coverage that the event will generate’, said Dr. David Lisak, founding board member of 1in6. ‘Thankfully, there are resources available to help these men, as well as their partners and family members. The 1in6 website was specifically designed to provide these men with information, access to a 24/7 SupportLine, and to do so in a receptive and non-threatening way. Men can find the help and information they need at their own pace, in complete privacy, and with absolute anonymity.’”]

@SarahEOlson2009 Philadelphia’s Msg. William J. Lynn Is Convicted of Allowing Abuse
[SEO: Breaking news this afternoon: “In the first criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic Church official in the United States for covering up sexual abuses, Msgr. William J. Lynn was found guilty Friday of endangering children by allowing a known pedophile priest to continue ministering to youths, resulting in an assault on a 10-year-old boy.”]

@PsychCentral Childhood Trauma Makes Adults Emotionally Vulnerable
[SEO: “Children living in unstable or dangerous environments, children who are abused in any way, children who witness abuse or violence, children who are neglected, children of divorce, or children who must endure invasive medical procedures, generally have no power to change their situation.”

“Even events that we see as ordinary, or at most annoying or difficult, can be traumatic for a child. The really painful part of all this is that a child can get ‘stuck’ in traumatic response and this can carry through to adulthood.”]

The Rest of the Best

@PsychToday Can’t sleep? Six common reasons you can fix
[ETA: As of 06/29/12 this link works perfectly, even though it is marked as broken. I tried replacing the link, same result. Try it, and let me know if it works for you, too. Thanks!]
[SEO: “Americans have gotten so used to chronic sleep deprivation maybe 95% or more of us no longer knows what it’s like to feel fully alert, awake, and aware.” Discusses six things you can do to improve your chances of getting better sleep.]

@natasha_tracy When do you need a psychiatrist?
[SEO: This is a good basic primer in how to know when and why you or a loved one need a psychiatrist. Of special note is the list of symptoms or occasions which may call for a psychiatrist. Each point has embedded links for further information.]

Continue reading]]> This week’s focus: June is PTSD Awareness Month

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

Please Share My Stuff! You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@WisdomalaCarte “So often in time it happens,
we all live our life in chains,
and we never even know
we have the key.” ~ The Eagles

Some Tweets to Ponder

@Tamavista “It is because life isn’t fair that we must speak up.” ~ Kitamori

‏@WisdomalaCarte “Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding everything you see.” ~ The Beatles

@ShareAwakening “In most cases, our so called limitations are nothing more than our own decision to limit ourselves.” ~ Daisaku Ikeda

@PsychDigest “You cannot change what you refuse to confront.”

@PsychCentral “In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” ~ Albert Camus

Linked Tweets

June is PTSD Awareness Month

@DrKathleenYoung PTSD Awareness Month
[SEO: “June is PTSD Awareness Month, and the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs are raising awareness about the problem, along with providing tools, information and assistance for service members who may be dealing with PTSD. Of course, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) does not only impact vets. PTSD, by definition, can follow any traumatic event.” See this post for ways you can help raise awareness in your own community, and learn statistics pertaining to PTSD in the military.]

@DrKathleenYoung Do you want to know more about PTSD?
[SEO: An excellent place to start if you’re new to PTSD, either for yourself or someone you know. Post asks “Do I have PTSD?” and provides a comprehensive Trauma Symptoms Checklist, and many resource links for further study.]

‏@VA_PTSD_Info While it may not feel normal there are common reactions to PTSD in a loved one
[SEO: To promote PTSD Awareness in June, the VA put together a 4 part series: Week 1: How I knew I had PTSD; Week 2: My family suffered; and Week 3: Hear how treatment has helped me. The tweet refers to the Week 2 family resources. (Week 4: My Advice: Don’t Wait is still to be published.) Each section offers links and resources, many of which are of help to anyone with PTSD, not just veterans.]

@tlomauro Predicting post-traumatic stress disorder before it happens
[SEO: This sounds promising. “The project … uses electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the areas of the brain that regulate the emotional response to traumatic stress, then decode the brain functionality which indicates pre- or post-trauma psychopathology. It’s a powerful and novel approach to probing the susceptible brain and providing ongoing monitoring tailored to each individual.”]

@PTSDdotOrg Options expand for wounded as more heal PTSD with alternative treatments (via Stars and Stripes)
[SEO: “Alternative approaches that heal mind, body and soul — therapy dogs, outdoor retreats, acupuncture, art and music programs — have been touted by researchers, doctors and service members. Now, supporters are just waiting for science to catch up. … Initial research indicates alternative methods work when used in tandem with trauma-focused therapy and medication.”

@DCoEPage We’re all in this fight against PTSD together. What can you do to help? Check out 12 ways.
[SEO: Post offers 12 ways that community members can help in the fight for PTSD awareness, each with resource links. Always keep in mind that these resources are for anyone with PTSD. Links specifically pertaining to veterans are usually marked as such.]

Continue reading]]> This week’s focus: Mental Health Month Blog Party 2012

I am honored to have my Twitter feed included in this list of 50 Best Twitter Feeds for Psychology Majors! Go check out the other 49, broken out into these categories: News; Organizations; Patients; and Professionals.

Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

Please Share My Stuff! You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@800273TALK “Overcome the notion that you must be regular.
It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary.” ~ Uta Hagen

Some Tweets to Ponder

@WisdomalaCarte “No matter how fast I run, I can’t get away from me.” ~ Jackson Browne

@KimbersP “Not all scars show. Not all wounds heal. Sometimes you can’t always see the pain someone feels.”

@800273TALK “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” ~ Virginia Woolf

@Tamavista “One’s suffering disappears when one lets oneself go, when one yields — even to sadness.” ~ Saint-Exupéry

@PemaQuotes “So it is with all of our actions: they either undercut our attachments or strengthen them; they bring us into the present or distract us.”

Linked Tweets

Mental Health Month Blog Party 2012

[SEO: I’m diverting from format for this section. All of these posts were tweeted on May 16, 2012, but I am choosing them from the list of 80+ links collected by the APA at the end of that day. I have no way of connecting these posts to their respective tweets.]

Imagine A World Without the Stigma of Mental Illness
[SEO: Anyone involved in mental health issues longs for a world without stigma — but what would that actually look like? This blog itemizes real-world practical consequences of zero stigma in some ways I had not previously considered.]

Just the Facts, Ma’am; The Numbers Don’t Lie: Not Servicing the Mentally Ill
[SEO: “A report released January 19, 2012, by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated that 1 in 5 Americans experienced some form of mental illness in 2010, and about 5% are so severely ill that they have difficulty with day-to-day tasks involving school, work or family.”

“The numbers and the need speak for themselves–but increasingly the mentally ill have nowhere to go. The Treatment Advocacy Center analyzed the decline in psychiatric beds in every state, from 1955 and 2005. They found a shocking 95 percent decrease in the number of available beds in the America’s public psychiatric institutions.”]

A Journey Through Mental Illness Toward Wholeness
[SEO: “My message is one of constant hope through all these extreme ups and downs in my own journey, though. After surviving years of suicidal depression, debilitating flash backs and panic attacks and finally a bottom-of-the-barrel existence as the girlfriend of a mentally ill homeless man for 3 years there is one thing I know to the core of my being; nothing will destroy me so I might as well grow up and get healthy.”]

Let’s End Stigma
[SEO: “If you know me personally, would you have guessed I had a mental illness? You probably thought I was a little different or eccentric, but really, would you have guessed it? It was a heck of a shock to me that April in 2005 when I received the news that I had Bipolar Disorder Type 1. It was pretty apparent to others at that particular time in my life as I was extremely ill, however prior to that time, not one family member, friend or any of the many doctors I had seen over the years had seen any sign of mental illness.” This post discusses various types of stigma, starting with the stigma she’s created toward herself.]

Blogging About Mental Health for Family and Friends
[SEO: This post focuses on how you can best help family members or friends who struggle with mental health issues — and who may not be seeking treatment.]

The Rest of the Best

@SarahEOlson2009 Facebook Joins Fight Against Military Suicides
[SEO: Take advantage of every resource available. “Facebook announced earlier this month that it is offering specialized suicide-prevention services for veterans, active-duty members of the military, and their families.”]

@BeyondMeds Beginner’s tips for meditation ~ from the archives
[SEO: Very helpful if you’ve thought about trying meditation but don’t know what it might involve, or how to find time to meditate.]

@CarolynSpring Self-care is often the hardest thing for survivors of abuse: “Be kind to yourself: self-care and the golden goose”
[SEO: I see me in this; do you see you? “For a long time, therapy sessions would end with a fairly typical exchange. I would express frustration at myself for not doing enough, not making progress enough, not having been present enough, not … well, just not quite being enough, ever. I would go ‘grr’, and gently but firmly the response from my therapist would go, ‘Be kind to yourself.’ To start with, it was just annoying.”]

@JKPBooks How art therapy is helping to heal combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder
[SEO: The process described here is valid for helping to heal PTSD from any type of trauma, combat or otherwise. “‘Art therapy is for people dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, anxiety and depression,’ said Elliott. ‘Really, anybody who wants to use a non-verbal approach for processing their combat injuries, either physical or psychological, will benefit from it.'”

“During the group sessions, participants use a variety of art supplies, including paints, clay, markers, charcoal and images for collages, to express their thoughts, feelings and memories.”]

Continue reading]]> Best Tweets for Trauma and PTSD Survivors is a weekly Friday feature. My selections are entirely subjective, and I know it will never be possible to include every great resource tweeted. But I can try! I’ve personally read all tweeted links, and believe them to be of great value.

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for content found on any other website. Stay safe, and don’t follow links if you believe you might be triggered by them. Also, I will not be re-checking links from older Best Tweets posts, and if the site’s archived URL is different from the one I’ve provided here, you may need to do a search on their site.

Please Share My Stuff! You can now “like” and “share” this post everywhere with the touch of a button or two at the end of the linked tweets! Feel free to do any or all of that! (And thanks.)

Photo Credit

@DrJennifer “It helps all of us
when we give ourselves permission.
It’s so good to be real…”

Six Standalone Tweets to Ponder

@ariannahuff “Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.”

@PsychDigest “While the old saying is, ‘What we resist, persists,’ in mindfulness it is, ‘What you accept, transforms.'”

@WisdomalaCarte “When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

@Tamavista “Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” ~ Spencer Johnson

@karenkmmonroy “What holds you to the past? You keep thinking/talking about it. So you keep re-creating it — so you keep talking/thinking ’bout it.”

@DrAthenaStaik “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” ~ Virginia Woolf

Linked Tweets

@HuffingtonPost Staggering numbers: A veteran dies by suicide every 80 minutes, new study says.
[SEO: “Faced with the stigma of post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment rates tipping 12 percent and a loss of the military camaraderie, many veterans report feeling purposeless upon returning home. … The epidemic is raging among those who are currently serving too. From 2005 to 2010, approximately one service member committed suicide every 36 hours, the CNAS study revealed.” Every 36 hours! The study makes ‘big picture’ recommendations which are years overdue.

Meanwhile, as we near Veterans Day (in the U.S. November 11th), think of ways you can support the veterans in your life throughout the year. PTSD doesn’t take a holiday.]

@HealthyPlace Accepting Diagnosis of Mental Illness
[SEO: “At some point in our journey to wellness, most of us hear similar words—We Have a Mental Illness. The first reaction might be one of denial and then relief. Nobody wants to have a mental illness that is stigmatized and requires medication and consistent self-care, but if you have been struggling with the pain of untreated mental illness, having a reason for this is a relief. Knowing that treatment is available is scary but opens doors: life can be stable and productive. But it isn’t easy to accept, not yet. The diagnosis is just the first step many of us take in order to find recovery.”]

@DorleeM 13 Surprising Ways To Fight Headache Pain
[SEO: Discusses alternative therapies including: biofeedback, accupuncture, massage, stretching, aerobics, meditation, yoga, relaxation exercises, heat and cold, avoiding nitrates and nitrites, botox injections (surprised me, too!), transcranial magnetic stimulation, and electrode implants. You never know what might offer some relief.]

@Mindful_Living If you have 10-Minutes somewhere today, go ahead, give yourself a gift and practice this right now. (YouTube)
[SEO: “This is a 10 minute practice to bring with you anywhere and anytime to begin training your mind to be more present to your life and recognize more clarity, opportunity, possibility and choice.” Video by Dr. Elisha Goldstein (@Mindful_Living). I found it very relaxing, and I’m a hard case in that area.]

@HealthyPlace When to Disclose an Anxiety Disorder
[SEO: “Following on from last week’s article on why to disclose an anxiety disorder, I thought I’d say a little about when to disclose an anxiety because it is, perhaps, as important as why.” Two excellent posts that provide criteria for the when and why of disclosing any mental health condition.]

@ssanquist 10 Steps to Starting Your Self-Esteem File
[SEO: “Five years ago I walked into my therapist’s office feeling like a Krispy-Kreme doughnut: I had no center. Everything I attempted both professionally and personally flopped. I had no sense of self, no confidence, and no faith in myself. I found nothing of value in my DNA. So she assigned me a project that I have since called “The Self-Esteem File.” Here are 10 steps for starting your own.”

Each detailed step provided is a long term project, and can seem overwhelming to someone who needs help with self-esteem. But that’s kind of the point. It takes a lot of time and practice of healthy thinking and actions to grow self-esteem. There is no overnight fix. This post provides a very useful road map in getting there.]

@DailyTamara Separating Life Stress from Mental Health Relapse
[SEO: “Part of mental health self-care involves identifying potential triggers and avoiding them or, at the very least, preparing for the impact they may have on your life. Those of us who have a mental illness have a harder time adjusting to life changes: relationships, starting a new job or losing an existing one, changing locations, the loss of a loved one. It is ironic, but positive life changes can also have an adverse influence on mood. It’s hard to find balance among all of the different cards that life deals us, but it’s crucial to be able to distinguish circumstantial stress from signs and symptoms of relapse.”]