\n<\/p>\n Although my family can take beautiful pictures, we are by no means a picture-perfect family. We\u2019ve experienced significant traumas surrounding mental illness and we continue to grapple with the healing process.<\/p>\n I’ll start by sharing a little of our backstory and what motivated me to write on this topic. In the mid 1990’s my brain activity became highly destructive, and between the ages of 15 \u2013 27 years I lived in and out of three different psychiatric hospitals. During this time, I was given many diagnoses, and eventually clinicians gave up on me and told my parents that it was unlikely I\u2019d ever function \u201cnormally\u201d in society.<\/p>\n Since then I\u2019ve learned to better manage my mood and behaviours, and over the past five years, I\u2019ve been reflecting, writing, and sharing a lot about my experience with mental illness. It\u2019s been therapeutic and healing, and in some ways, I think opening up about my experience has become part of my self-care. With that said, I continue to have worrying thoughts about my mental health. For example, I wonder if I’m still crazy and just hiding it better? I wonder if it’s okay that I think about dying on a regular basis? I also worry about the possibility of ending up in a lockdown ward again.<\/p>\n Then, I breathe. I\u2019ve learned to breathe and to place my attention on the here and now. I may not feel okay, I may be escalating high, or crashing low, and both extremes create an intense feeling of disconnection. Sometimes I feel insane, even behave insane, but I\u2019ve learned to breathe and redirect my focus to the present moment. I know I\u2019m okay, even when I\u2019m not feeling okay, and I know\u00a0my mental anguish will pass. I know my mind, and I have a beautiful mind. I\u2019m proud to say that it\u2019s been over ten years since my last suicide attempt. I still work with big challenges, and I still have work to do, but I have an incredible support network and I\u2019m staying away from lockdown units and the morgue.<\/p>\n I have built a career as a coach and an author by sharing insights on how to use connection and communication to transform our relationships with our selves, and our relationships with others. My work combines my professional experience as a child and youth counsellor, personal experience as a mother, and lived experience surviving relationship disasters – with myself and with others.<\/p>\n I often work with families and I LOVE working with families. In my opinion, families thrive when they work collaboratively to overcome challenges. Whether someone in a family is sick with alcoholism, cancer, diabetes, or whatever; the individual, along with all members of the family, will suffer\u00a0more<\/em>\u00a0if they don\u2019t work together and feel supported.<\/p>\nI believe that the more supported and connected families feel, the more connected communities are, then cities, countries and ultimately our planet. Basically, I think world peace starts with each family increasing their sense of support and connection.<\/p>\n I often find myself reflecting on the disconnection I sense within my own family surrounding our experiences with mental illness. My parents, siblings, spouse, daughter, and I seem to be comfortable talking about\u00a0my<\/em>\u00a0feelings and experiences, but we rarely talk about theirs.<\/p>\nI sometimes wonder if members of my family prefer to sweep their feelings under a rug because they think their feelings are not as important as mine? I have also considered that they might not have thought about sharing their perspective? Or, maybe they worry that if they express themselves, it will open a can of worms and I might spiral into a relapse?<\/p>\n Instead of making assumptions about how each family member perceives our dynamics with mental health, I decided to write a note and ask them. Here\u2019s what I wrote:<\/p>\n Hello family,<\/em><\/p>\nOver the past 2 years I’ve written, and spoken, butt loads about my experience with mental health crisis’. I’m working on a new article and I’d like to include more about how mental health affects the individuals within a family unit. My intention is to demonstrate that families can speak honestly, and respectfully, about their experiences with mental health. There’s no expectation that everyone agrees, my hope is to inspire others to open the door for heartfelt conversations and give space for all to share their perspective.<\/em><\/p>\nI’ve attached a word doc with a few question prompts; feel free to reflect on any one, or more, and send back your notes. There’s no word count max, or min, and grammar is not overly important bc I’ll only be using some snippets. You can include stories of memories, highlights, lowlights, etc… please send back by July 10 and I will send my final draft to you all before going live.<\/em><\/p>\nThank you for considering!<\/em><\/p>\nI really do love and appreciate our family,<\/em> \n\ud83d\udc95<\/em> \nAmber<\/em><\/p>\nI specifically asked: \nIn your opinion\u2026<\/p>\n |