Coming Out Crazy
Information
| Blog Name: | Coming Out Crazy |
| Url: | http://thestar.blogs.com/mentalhealth/ |
| Language: | English |
| Topics: | Mental Health, Recovery, Language |
| Description: | Sandy Naiman's bi-weekly, award winning Toronto Star blog explores many issues of emotional and mental health and well-being – with a focus on recovery and special attention to the language of respect these issues and we deserve. For 30 years, she was a staff reporter, feature writer and columnist for The Toronto Sun. Now, while teaching at Seneca College, she continues giving inspirational keynote speeches, is a passionate mental health advocate and freelance writer. At Seneca, she teaches Women's Studies and in November 2007, she was asked to develop and teach Seneca's first Community Service course called "Leadership in Society for Students Who Want to Make a Difference." She is currently teaching and continuing to develop her course with her fourth semester of 58 students on two campuses in Toronto and Markham. This course is one of her many passions. Others include her dashing darling husband, her two championship Dandie Dinmont Terriers. Her mental health advocacy and keynotes that have taken her all across Canada and into the U.S. – since she began formally "speaking out" in 1998! She's candid and often very amusing about her 49-year psychiatric history, multiple misdiagnoses and how she has not only overcome but thrived despite the serious emotional trauma of living with episodes of psychosis linked to mania. How else to help people understand and empathize! In March 2009, she gave a keynote to the medical students, Class of 2012, at her alma mater Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, during their Mental Health Awareness Week. One point she always stresses is – we're all a little crazy from time to time, aren't we? This never fails to elicit nervous laughter. And it's time we viewed our madnesses less seriously. There's always a little something about being a little crazy that's funny, isn't there? As far as she's concerned, we're all "Next to Normal"... each and every one of us. True? |
| Popularity: | 139 Followers |
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Listening to your body...
For the second day in a row I've been sick. In case you're interested in symptoms, these are mine – stomach ache, temperature 101.4 degrees Fahrenheit, headache, achy bones generally feeling like the inside of a garbage can.So I've been sleeping and eating almost nothing other than calorie-reduced cranberry juice, herbal tea, a poached egg on dry toast. Not much else. I've canceled my classes and that makes me feel even worse, but to be honest with you, wandering around a huge college where students are also sick, it doesn't surprise me that I've picked up something. Remember, I'm immune-suppressed, thanks to my kidney transplan
For the second day in a row I've been sick. In case you're interested in symptoms, these are mine – stomach ache, temperature 101.4 degrees Fahrenheit, headache, achy bones generally feeling like the inside of a garbage can.So I've been sleeping and eating almost nothing other than calorie-reduced cranberry juice, herbal tea, a poached egg on dry toast. Not much else. I've canceled my classes and that makes me feel even worse, but to be honest with you, wandering around a huge college where students are also sick, it doesn't surprise me that I've picked up something. Remember, I'm immune-suppressed, thanks to my kidney transplan
Storme warning...
Post Traumatic Stress has been in the news lately, triggered by the Fort Hood, Texas shootings earlier this month. We're reading more and more about suicides in the military caused by this severe, much misunderstood anxiety disorder. You don't have to be in armed forces to struggle with and suffer from Post Traumatic Stress – it can affect anyone at anytime.You may remember my friend who calls herself
Post Traumatic Stress has been in the news lately, triggered by the Fort Hood, Texas shootings earlier this month. We're reading more and more about suicides in the military caused by this severe, much misunderstood anxiety disorder. You don't have to be in armed forces to struggle with and suffer from Post Traumatic Stress – it can affect anyone at anytime.You may remember my friend who calls herself
A psychiatric chuckle...
As you know, on Wednesday, I attended a memorial celebration of the life of my husband's closest friend, film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and poet, Bill Davidson. Actually, Marty was the M.C. I sat with about 40 of Bill's nearest and dearest, including his wife Mary, his two daughters, Wendy and Ann, and his granddaughter, Tabitha. Tabby chose to read several of her grandfather's poems from a little collection called "A Baker's Dozen," that he sent to a very select group about eight years ago.
As you know, on Wednesday, I attended a memorial celebration of the life of my husband's closest friend, film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and poet, Bill Davidson. Actually, Marty was the M.C. I sat with about 40 of Bill's nearest and dearest, including his wife Mary, his two daughters, Wendy and Ann, and his granddaughter, Tabitha. Tabby chose to read several of her grandfather's poems from a little collection called "A Baker's Dozen," that he sent to a very select group about eight years ago.
Living in the "now"...
Tomorrow afternoon, we're going to the funeral of my husband's closest friend. Bill Davidson was the most vibrant, charming, engaging man I've ever known – robust is the word I used to describe him in a newspaper story I once wrote. He never let me forget it, either. I fell in love with Bill the first time I met him about 10 years ago. He and my husband met in 1958 when he was directing a wonderful B-movie called Ivy League Killers. He cast Marty, 22 at t
Tomorrow afternoon, we're going to the funeral of my husband's closest friend. Bill Davidson was the most vibrant, charming, engaging man I've ever known – robust is the word I used to describe him in a newspaper story I once wrote. He never let me forget it, either. I fell in love with Bill the first time I met him about 10 years ago. He and my husband met in 1958 when he was directing a wonderful B-movie called Ivy League Killers. He cast Marty, 22 at t
Chewing the fat about Fat Talk...
On our first week at Weight Watchers, I lost 2.8 lbs. and Marty lost 4.6 lbs. On our second, I lost .4 lbs. and he lost .6 lbs. – the morning after a seven course dinner the night before.As of last Sunday, week six, I had lost 6.8 lbs. and he had lost 7.6 lbs.So on we plod, turning every meal into an exercise in higher mathematics, discussing weighing, measuring, calculating and counting the calories, fat grams, dietary fibre and points-values in every mouthful we eat. He refuses to measure. I weigh every milligram. He loses like a dream. I struggle. We're doing this fo
On our first week at Weight Watchers, I lost 2.8 lbs. and Marty lost 4.6 lbs. On our second, I lost .4 lbs. and he lost .6 lbs. – the morning after a seven course dinner the night before.As of last Sunday, week six, I had lost 6.8 lbs. and he had lost 7.6 lbs.So on we plod, turning every meal into an exercise in higher mathematics, discussing weighing, measuring, calculating and counting the calories, fat grams, dietary fibre and points-values in every mouthful we eat. He refuses to measure. I weigh every milligram. He loses like a dream. I struggle. We're doing this fo
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