You can call me Betty, or...

For Serious

I can’t discuss the details because they’re confidential, but I’m currently bricking it. I am scheduled to give a video deposition next week and I am having a crisis of faith of my decision. 

The point of writing about it here is that I came to a realization once I started freaking out. When I’m unsure or un-confident in my decision, I have to seek outside validation or verification. I know sometimes that this can help, but I need to start trusting in myself rather than relying on others for big decisions. 

*This has been a serious post — We will now go back to our regularly scheduled ridiculousness* 

*Phew*

Today has been an emotional day. Listened to “The Fault In Our Stars” at work today and cried a lot. I have a lot of feelings about this book. It was lovely. I wanted the book inside the book to be a real book; I wanted to meet Hazel, Augustus and Isaac. Some of the lines from the book will stick to me, like glue, for the rest of my life. 

“What a slut time is. She screws everybody.” 

“The world is not a wish-granting factory.” 

“My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” 

“That’s the thing about pain…it demands to be felt.” 

I will be buying this book and putting it on “the shelf”. I don’t buy a lot of physical books because I read a lot of audio books and borrow from the library. But when I love a book, I buy it and put it on my bookshelf, to read again and again. To pass on to others someday. 

Thanks John Green for writing this book. It was exquisite to read. 

Eleanor & Park

I just got done reading this book, “Eleanor & Park”. I cried through the end. I loved the story and the characters. I identified strongly with parts of it, and every time I feel that connection with a story or a person, I feel a tiny percentage more healed inside. 

-Edited to add- One of my favorite lines in the book:

“Eleanor was right: She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”

Long lasting books

It’s been a long time since I read a book that I didn’t want to end. I love when it happens though. 

Common Myths about Mental Illness

onlinecounsellingcollege:

Myth #1: Mental illnesses are not true illnesses like cancer or heart disease.

Fact: A physical illness like a heart attack can easily be detected by some simple tests. In contrast, mental illness is an invisible disease which can’t be observed by the general public. This can lead to judgment and to prejudice.

Myth #2: People with diagnosed with a mental Illness tend to have a lower IQ.

Fact: Mental Illness affects people across the entire IQ spectrum. In fact, many extremely intelligent people have been diagnosed with mental illness, are able hold down powerful jobs, and carry a high level of responsibility.

Myth #3: Most of those who suffer from mental illness are violent.

Fact: Very few sufferers are actually violent. In fact, research indicates that they are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence.

Myth #4: It is mainly women who suffer from mental illness.

Fact: There are millions of people – both men and women - in all of the different mental illness categories.

Myth #5: Most people diagnosed with mental illness were abused as children.

Fact: Although the incidence of some types of mental illness is more highly correlated with childhood abuse, there are many, many people who have never been abused.

Myth #6: A lot of those who claim to be mentally ill are basically just selfish, or self-centred, individuals.

Fact: Many forms of mental illness have been shown to have their roots in chemical and neurological problems in the brains. They are not character defects.

Myth #7: People with mental illness can get better if they just work a bit harder at getting over their issues.

Fact: Although mental illness symptoms can often be managed successfully through a combination of medication and counselling, it is likely that suffers will continue to struggle throughout their life. It’s not just a matter of “trying a bit harder”.

Myth #8: Those who suffer from mental illness will never recover from their disorder.

Fact: Although many sufferers will continue to battle, or will find their symptoms resurface overtime, they can often manage these successfully. Thus, most of them will lead a fulfilling life.

I am going to make it one of my life’s goals to spread awareness to everyone I meet about the truth of mental illness.

A good podcast regarding mental illness is the Mental Illness Happy Hour at www.mentalpod.com 

My Mad Fat Diary

is a tv show I wish I would’ve had when I was a teenager. I would’ve felt less alone and more hopeful. I know it wouldn’t have been my “saving glory” but it would have been nice. 

I pretty much love Rae Earl.