mental illness – Penny Wilson Writes

Life

Hope, help & tragedy in Faribault — Minnesota Prairie Roots

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Penny Wilson Writes

THIS IS A REBLOG FROM MY FRIEND AUDREY’S BLOG AT MINNESOTA PRAIRIE ROOTS. PLEASE VISIT HER WONDERFUL BLOG!

I photographed this woman’s shirt at a public event in Northfield. The message refers to struggles with mental illness. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo. IF YOU’VE FOLLOWED my writing long enough, you understand my dedication to increasing awareness on two important issues—domestic violence and mental health. This week, both made headlines in my community. I […]
Hope, help & tragedy in Faribault — Minnesota Prairie Roots

Life

When life comes unglued, a Minnesota family’s experience — Minnesota Prairie Roots

Posted on June 23, 2021June 23, 2021 by Penny Wilson Writes

REBOG: This is a Reblog from Audrey’s wonderful site. Like myself, she has been a supporter of Mental Health Awareness and ending the stigma of such. Please visit Audrey’s blog to read this heart wrenching and lovely review.

HE AROSE FROM HIS CHAIR, lost. I watched him stagger and collapse on Sarah’s chair, plunging his head into his big sister’s chest. As that scene unfolds on page 297 of Unglued—A Bipolar Love Story by Minnesotan Jeffrey Zuckerman, I cried. I cried at the deep heartache adult siblings Joey and Sarah experience when learning […]
When life comes unglued, a Minnesota family’s experience — Minnesota Prairie Roots

depression, Life

Focus on mental health: A Minnesotan writes about her depression — Minnesota Prairie Roots

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Penny Wilson Writes

REBLOG: Don’t miss this important and informative piece!

ARE YOU STRUGGLING with everyday tasks? Unable to get out of bed? Feeling hopeless? Overwhelmed? You are not alone. I think all of us have struggled during this past pandemic year. Maybe not to the extent of the challenges listed, but in other ways. It’s been a lot. I’m thankful that, if anything good comes […]
Focus on mental health: A Minnesotan writes about her depression — Minnesota Prairie Roots

Life

Focus on mental health: The family living along Hidden Valley Road — Minnesota Prairie Roots

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Penny Wilson Writes

REBLOG: Please don’t miss Audrey’s informative post!

…I THOUGHT I WAS such a good mother. I baked a cake and a pie every night. Or at least had Jell-O with whipped cream. That quote from Mimi Galvin, mother of 12, struck me as particularly personal and profound in a 377-page book focusing on one family’s experiences with schizophrenia. Six of Mimi and […]
Focus on mental health: The family living along Hidden Valley Road — Minnesota Prairie Roots

depression, Life

Ebb and Flow

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Penny Wilson Writes

The ebb and flow of life. We all deal with it. We all have trials and tribulations. It’s part of our journey here. Some days, I’m engulfed in the undertow, my feet being sucked down into the muck and the mud. On these days, it’s hard to see the sunshine on the surface of the water. I’ve been dealing with some personal issues and think I’m beginning to see the light.

Our winter has been uncommonly wet. Until this last bit of dry weather, the weatherman said that we’ve only had, at most, 5 consecutive days of no rain, for months now. Grey and gloomy skies. Having no sun really can make a difference!

I know when my depression rears it’s ugly head. I’ve battled the beast long enough to know it’s M.O. Although not an easy thing to do, I went to my doctor and had an honest discussion with her about how I’ve been feeling. Reaching out for help is the hardest part of battling depression. But I know I have to. I’m very lucky to have a doctor that I adore. She’s wonderful. The type of person I would like to be friends with. Even with this knowledge, depression is a sneaky bastard. It took me more than a month to set the appointment.

On the day of my appointment, while sitting in the waiting room, I almost bolted for the door. It’s hard to describe. But it’s like I’m have a battle, an argument with this…. being. I KNOW what I SHOULD do, but the beast will argue with me, justify its actions and what usually happens is… nothing. Depression can paralyze you. You continue to put off getting help. You don’t tell anyone how you’re feeling. You isolate yourself to avoid uncomfortable situations. So it’s even easier for the beast to dig its heels in and really mess with your head. You isolate yourself more, becoming more depressed. The more depressed you become, the more you isolate yourself. Even KNOWING all of the ugly beast’s tricks, I still fall for them.

I feel better just having been able to Voice my concerns with someone. I know I’m not out of the deep end yet, but there is hope. I’m swimming toward that sunshine on the surface above me and it’s getting closer.

*If you or someone you love is struggling with depression or other mental health issues, I invite you to look over my Mental Health Help Page which can be found HERE. On this page, you will find several links on ways to get help.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. ❤ Penny

depression

The Link Between Depression & Suicide

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Penny Wilson Writes

Chain, Chain Link, Connection, Related

Although a gloomy subject, I continue to write about Depression and it’s horrifying effects, for this reason:

60% of suicides are due to a history of struggle with Depression. Every day 121 Americans commit suicide. One person every 40 seconds, worldwide, will commit suicide.

These are frightening statistics, right? Below is a partial list of some names you may recognize that committed suicide.

Robin Williams, R. Bud Dwyer, Evelyn McHale, Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain, Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, Vincent Van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Freddie Prinze, George Reeves.

Only when the stigma ends. Only when there is no longer any shame or guilt associated with depression will this horror end. If you know someone that is struggling, reach out to them. Talk to them. Check in to see if they are alright. Sometimes all it takes is extending a kindness, for those to see that they are not alone, that someone cares. It can make all the difference in the world. It may save a life.

If you are seeking help, please check out my Mental Health Help Page HERE.

depression

Depression-You’re Not Alone

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Penny Wilson Writes

Depression can make you feel very alone. While we know there are other people out there that suffer from depression, that doesn’t make it any easier. We isolate ourselves, deny that there is anything wrong, and generally cannot see a way out of it. Too often, individuals that suffer from depression do not seek the help they need. While the reasons vary, one of the main reasons for not seeking help is the Stigma associated with Depression.

People feel guilty. They’ve been told to “snap out of it”, or “get over it”, or any number of other things that dismiss what they are going thru. Those people have no idea how dangerous and debilitating depression can be.

Continue reading “Depression-You’re Not Alone” →

depression, Life

What a Little Kindness Can Do

Posted on January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 by Penny Wilson Writes

The Suicide rates are the highest they’ve been since WWII. This is a statistic that should be alarming to every one of us. It was to me when I heard it. I’ve advocated for Suicide Prevention and Awareness for a long time. In 2018, 1.5 million people attempted suicide.

Sunday mornings, I make it a habit to watch CBS Sunday Morning. There was a piece on there this Sunday, 1/19/2020, that really hit me. In the 1960s there was a study done on patients that had attempted suicide. The study discovered that a simple intervention, showing that you CARE, can prevent suicide. The suicide rates of people being released from psychiatric care in this study dropped by 50%, because of a simple act of compassion.

If you would like to see this segment, you can find it HERE. The piece is about 8 minutes long and can explain this remarkable study much better than I can.

I’ve written several posts about getting help if you need it for depression, suicide prevention, mental illness, etc., but I had not thought about the other side of the coin. What if we Reach Out and SHOW someone that we care today? Can it really make a difference?

It turns out that yes, it can.

I had an experience on Saturday, that really hit me as an unusual act by a stranger. I was at the gas pump filling my tank. It’s cold, the wind is blowing, but the sun is shining for the first time in days. I think everyone wanted to get out and soak up some of that sunshine. While I was pumping my gas, a woman pulled her car along side mine at the next pump over. She got out of her car and with a big smile on her face gave me a very cheerful “Good morning!” I instantly smiled! We exchanged a few words about the sunshine and the cold. But that whole experience left me smiling for the remainder of the day.

Why? Because a stranger took a few seconds and showed some compassion and kindness. Then on Sunday, I saw the piece about the suicide rates. These two instances, I believe, was God’s way of saying to me, “Penny, you need to take action. Pay attention to this!”

Why on earth was that woman that greeted me at the gas pump’s kindness so unusual to me?? THAT’S the real question here.

We get so tied up in our own lives, our own head, that we can’t see the world around us anymore. A few words or a smile might make all the difference in someone’s life. HERE is that link again. Please watch it. I think it will change your prospective on how you look at those around you.

Sometime back, I pledged to do One Kind Thing every day. For the most part, I’ve stuck with that. But I challenge myself and you, to do more. I challenge us to Reach Out to someone today, and tomorrow, and the next day. Let’s give that other person a reason to smile.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. ❤ Penny

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

REBLOG: Please don’t miss Bipolar mom’s post. A public voice on Mental illness takes courage. Enjoy. ❤

Lying uncomfortably at the bottom of my well of sorrow, I thought for a long time what my C would stand for. For some unbeknownst reason as I am sure you’ve noticed, I’ve been trying to alphabet my way through my current experience and in so doing, understand and give verse to my reality. Understand […]

via C is for ? — 4 M’s Bipolar mom

C is for ? — 4 M’s Bipolar mom

Quote• Posted on January 19, 2020 by Penny Wilson Writes

depression

Depression, Looking for Answers?

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Penny Wilson Writes

The reason for this post is because I was looking back at my stats for 2019. My most liked post and my most visited post is one called Depression and Denial. This tells me that people WANT information on this subject.

Those of you that have followed me for a while, know the reasons that I continue to write and speak out about Depression. My #1 reason is this: EVERY DAY 121 Americans commit suicide. 50% of those people suffered from depression. Reason enough to write about it? I thought so too. My #2 reason I write about it is to help end the stigma that surrounds Depression.

If you’re new to my blog and for some reason you’ve come across this post, maybe you’re looking for answers. Maybe you’re looking for help. Maybe you’re confused about how and why you feel the way that you do. Maybe, maybe, something that you find on my blog will help.

I pray that’s so.

If you need help, or if you’re just looking to get some questions answered about what you’re feeling, please visit my Mental Health Help page. On this page, you will find a lot of links, contact information, social media connections and phone numbers for different ways to seek help.

Also on this page are different posts that I’ve written on the subject of depression and mental health help. You might browse through these posts and see if there is something there that will connect with you. HERE is that link again.

I’ve lived this. I’ve walked this walk. I know about the hopelessness, the darkness that encompasses everything in your life. I know about the isolation, the feeling of being lost. I know what you’re dealing with. If you need answers, I hope you find something here that helps you. Stay strong. There IS help for you.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. ❤ Penny