Using Music to Understand Mental Illness

While most forms of mass media portray the experience of mental illness inaccurately, music tends to have a better track record, perhaps because it is based on the songwriters’ own experiences rather than what a corporate executive thinks will make money (though music isn’t always immune to this sort of influence).

I’m creating this post in hopes that it can be used by people with mental illness to feel less alone and also to better explain to friends what they’re experiencing.

Note: Personally, when depressed, I have a strong desire to listen to depressing music, which can sometimes make me feel far more depressed. If this happens to you as well, please carefully monitor your mood to avoid making it worse.

My husband and I have tried to go through the original list and take off as many of the songs that don’t seem to be related to mental illness. A look at the full list, with the deleted songs, would show just how little most people know about the true effects of mental illness.

Attribution: [L]ist of songs about mental illness. (2007, March 18). On Crazyboards.org. Retrieved 20:38, July 30, 2009, from http://www.crazyboards.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=22335. Text originally based on text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (deleted page). Any songs that I’ve added to the original list are in bold. I haven’t listened to most songs on this list, because I simply don’t have the time.

0-9

* “19th Nervous Breakdown” by The Rolling Stones
[…]
* “4st 7lb” by Manic Street Preachers (about anorexia nervosa)
[…]

A

* “A Better Place, A Better Time” by Streetlight Manifesto (anti-suicide)
[…]
* “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by Sufjan Stevens
[…]
* “About To Crash” by Dream Theater
* “Adam’s Song” by Blink 182 about Depression and Suicide – personal favorite
[…]
* “A Long December” by Counting Crows
* “Alcohol” by Barenaked Ladies
[…]
* “Another Stranger Me” by Blind Guardian
[…]

B

[…]
* “Basket Case” by Green Day (Billie Joe Armstrong’s song about his struggle with anxiety)
[…]
* “Be All, End All” by Anthrax (anti-suicide: “Be all, and you’ll be the end all, state of mind, euphoria”)
* “Bed Of Razors” by Children of Bodom
* “Beethoven (I Love to Listen to)” by Eurythmics (about obsessive-compulsive disorder)
[…]
* “Behind Blue Eyes” by The Who (“Nobody knows what it’s like, to be the bad man…”)
* “Behind Grey Walls” by Richard Thompson
* “Between A Laugh And A Tear” by John Mellencamp (anti-suicide: “and thats as good as it can get for us, and there aint no reason to stop tryin’”)
* “Beyond the Grey Sky” by 311
[…]
* “Bipolar” by Blonde Redhead
[…]
* “Bi-Polar” by Assemblage 23
* “Bi-Polar Bear” by Stone Temple Pilots
* “Bi-Polar Disorder” by The Lord Weird Slough Feg
* “Black Crow Blues” by Bob Dylan (bipolar protagonist, sometimes “too high to fall”, sometimes “so low, I don’t know if I can come up at all”)
[…]
* “Bleed American” by Jimmy Eat World
* “Bleed Like Me” by Garbage
[…]
* “Blood Makes Noise” by Suzanne Vega
* “Borderline” by Sufjan Stevens
* “Born To Lose” by Social Distortion
[…]
* “Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd (“the lunatic is in my head”; later receives a lobotomy, “you raise the blade, you make the change”)
* “Breakin’” by The Music
[…]
* “Brian Wilson” by Barenaked Ladies (narrator has bipolar disorder, compares himself to Brian Wilson)
[…]
* “Burning Herself” by Harry Chapin (song about a girl who burns herself with cigarettes)

C

[…]
* “Can You Believe It” by The Bolshoi
[…]
* “Carrying Cathy” by Ben Folds
* “Cars and Calories” by Saves the Day
* “Cherry Blossom Clinic” by The Move
* “Chronic Schizophrenia” by Wesley Willis
* “Cinderella Man” by Rush (about a man whose transition from poverty to wealth has made him manic depressive)
* “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” by Rufus Wainwright
* “Cocoon” by Assemblage 23
[…]
* “Coffee and Cigarettes” by Augustana
[…]
* “Compulsive Prep” by Mest
[…]
* “Courage” By Superchick about having an eating disorder
* “Cracking” by Suzanne Vega
* “Crackle And Drag” by Paul Westerberg
* “Crazy” by Barenaked Ladies
* “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
* “Crazy Man Michael” by Fairport Convention
* “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne (“Mental wounds still screaming, driving me insane, I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train”)
* “Cut” by Plumb is about self-harm.

D

[…]
* “Delusional” by Saves the Day (paranoia)
[…]
* “Depression” by Black Flag
* “Destroyer” by The Kinks (narrator has “paranoia, the destroyer”)
[…]
* “Ding Dong” by Nellie McKay
[…]
* “Dirty Knife” by Neko Case
* “Disconnected” by Rollins Band
* “Disorder” by Goldfinger
[…]
* “Down in It” by Nine Inch Nails (depression/bipolar: “I was up above it, now I’m down in it”)
[…]
* “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by The Who (analogy made in discussing alcoholism; “When I drink my potion, my character changes”)

E

* “Ease Your Feet In The Sea” by Belle & Sebastian
[…]
* “Ellsworth” by Rascal Flatts (about Alzheimer’s)
[…]
* “Emergency Exit” by Beck (suicide)
[…]
* “Escape” by Muse
* “Evaporated” by Ben Folds Five
* “Escher” by Teenage Fanclub
[…]
* “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M. (told from the point of view of someone comforting a friend who is suicidal)
* “Everybody Knows That You Are Insane” by Queens of the Stone Age
* “Everything For Free” by K’s Choice
* “Everything is Alright” by Motion City Soundtrack
[…]

F

[…]
* “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor (recovery from depression)
[…]
* “Fix Me” by Rise Against
[…]
* “Flying High Again” by Ozzy Osbourne
* “Free Fall” by In Flames
[…]

G

[…]
* “Get in Line” by Barenaked Ladies (paranoia)
* “Girl Anachronism” by The Dresden Dolls (suicide)
[…]
* “God of Wine” by Third Eye Blind
[…]
* “Gone” by Bouncing Souls
* “Gotta Get Away” by The Offspring
* “Grey Street” by Dave Matthews Band
[…]

H

[…]
* “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse” by Of Montreal
[…]
* “Hey Foxymophandlemama, Thats Me” by Pearl Jam (includes recorded statements from real patients in a mental hospital)
* “Hey, Hey, I’m Down” by puressence
* “Hey Man Nice Shot” by Filter
* “Hold on” by Good Charlotte (personal favorite – anti-suicide)
* “Hold on” by Kim Wilde
* “Holy” by The Golden Palominos
[…]
* “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails and covered by Johnny Cash (drug addiction and guilt)
[…]

I

[…]
* “I’ll Be That Girl” by Barenaked Ladies
[…]
* “I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself” By Elton John (suicide)
[…]
* “Into the Ocean” by Blue October (suicidal ideation)
[…]

J

[…]
* “Japanese Gum” by Her Space Holiday (The girl mentioned in “Japanese Gum” has Borderline Personality Disorder, and the boy mentioned is someone that desperately wants to help her.)
* “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam (personal favorite – can be triggering)
[…]
* “Jugband Blues” by Pink Floyd
* “Jump They Say” by David Bowie
* “Jumper” by Third Eye Blind

K

(none)

L

* “Largactyl” by Amebix
* “Last Resort” by Papa Roach
* “Last Straw” by Jack’s Mannequin
* “Lean On Me (I Won’t Fall Over)” by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
[…]
* “Lithium” by Evanescence
* “Lithium” by Nirvana
[…]
* “Longview” by Green Day
* “Loaded Gun” by The Reverend Horton Heat (suicide – may be triggering)
* “Loose Lips” by Kimya Dawson (personal favorite)
[…]
* “Lucky” by Britney Spears
* “Lucy at the Gym” by Jill Sobule

M

[…]
* “Mad World” by Tears for Fears (I prefer the version by Gary Jules – personal favorite, depression)
* “Major Tom” by Peter Schilling
* “Make Me Bad” by Korn
[…]
* “Manic Depression” by Jimi Hendrix – This song describes both the euphoric highs associated with creating music (“Music, sweet music/I wish I could caress”) as well as the desperation and suicidal tendencies perhaps associated with mixed states (“Really ain’t no use in me hanging around”).
* “Mary Jane” By Alanis Morissette (depression)
* “Mary Jo” by Belle & Sebastian
[…]
* “Meds” by Placebo
* “Medication” by Garbage
* “Medication” by Modest Mouse
[…]
* “Medicine Bottle” by Red House Painters
* “Melancholia” by The Who
[…]
* “Memory Lane” by Elliott Smith
* “Mental” by Eels
[…]
* “Modern Chemistry” by Motion City Soundtrack
[…]
* “Monster” by The Automatic
[…]
* “Mother” by The Police
* “Mother Stands for Comfort” by Kate Bush – The song is about a madman finding comfort in his mother. The lyrics “Make me do this, make me do that…” are about the voices in his head.
* “Mother’s Little Helper” by The Rolling Stones – This song is about Valium addiction.
* “Mr. Self-Destruct” by Nine Inch Nails
[…]

N

[…]
* “Narcolepsy” by Ben Folds Five
* “Narcolepsy” by Third Eye Blind
[…]
* “Natalie Marie and 1cc” by The Spill Canvas
[…]
* “Night and Day” by The Good Life – Discusses self-harm, specifically cutting
* “Nightminds” by Missy Higgins (bipolar)
* “No Place For You” by Paul Westerberg (suicidal ideation)
* “No Rain” by Blind Melon
* “No Self-Control” by Peter Gabriel
* “Nobody Home” by Pink Floyd
* “Not an addict” by K’s Choice (personal favorite)
* “Not There” by James
[…]

O

[…]
* “Outburst” by Wesley Willis
* “Out of Mind” by The Cure
* “Out of Mind” by Queensrÿche from Promised Land (album)
* “Out of My Depth” by Everclear
* “Out The Window” by Violent Femmes
[…]
* “Overkill” by Men at Work (personal favorite)

P

[…]
* “Panic Attack” by Dream Theater
[…]
* “Perfect Blue Buildings” by The Counting Crows
[…]
* “Poem” by Taproot
[…]

Q

(none)

R

* “Rainy Day in June” by The Kinks
* “Rainy Day Parade” by Jill Sobule
[…]
* “River Man” by Nick Drake
* “Rope Ends” by Pain of Salvation (suicide)
* “Roses In The Hospital” by Manic Street Preachers
* “Round Here” by Counting Crows
[…]

S

* “Sad Lisa” by Cat Stevens (depression)
[…]
* “Scars & Stitches” by Guster
[…]
* “Schizophrenic Conversations” by Staind
* “Seasick, Yet Still Docked” by Morrissey
[…]
* “Shadow Creator” by Skyfire
[…]
* “She Misses Him” by Tim Rushlow (about Alzheimer’s Disease)
* “She’s Falling Apart by Lisa Loeb
* “She’s Got Issues” by The Offspring
[…]
* “She’s Lost Control” by Joy Division
* “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd
* “Shooting Star” by Harry Chapin
* “Sick” by Lagwagon
[…]
* “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence” by Dream Theater (bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, autism, post-partum depression, and dissociative identity disorder)
[…]
* “Sleepless” by King Crimson
[…]
* “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” by Elton John
* “So Nice, So Smart” by Kimya Dawson (personal favorite
[…]
* “Soul to Squeeze” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
[…]
* “Stan” by Eminem (dangerous obsession)
[…]
* “Steven” by Senses Fail
[…]
* “Still Life” by Iron Maiden
* “Stockholm Syndrome” by Muse
[…]
* “Sucked Out” by Superdrag
[…]
* “Suicide Solution” by Ozzy Osbourne
* “Sunny Skies” by James Taylor
* “Sunrise, Sunset” by Bright Eyes
[…]
* “Sweetest Perfection” by Depeche Mode
* “System” by In Flames

T

* “Take Me Home” by Phil Collins
* “Take This Life” by In Flames
* “Teenage Depression” by Eddie & The Hot Rods
[…]
* “The Becoming” by Nine Inch Nails
[…]
* “The Enemy Is You” by Elliott Smith
* “The Final Cut” by Pink Floyd
[…]
* “The Gash” by The Flaming Lips
* “The Glass Prison” by Dream Theater
[…]
* “The Test That Stumped Them All” by Dream Theater
* “The Trial” by Pink Floyd
[…]
* “Things Have Changed” by Bob Dylan
[…]
* “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins
* “Tomorrow Tomorrow” by Elliott Smith
[…]
* “Too Much On My Mind” by The Kinks
[…]
* “Try Not to Breathe” by R.E.M.
* “Twisted” by Joni Mitchell
* “Two Points for Honesty” by Guster

U

* “Uncorrected Personality Traits” by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
[…]
* “Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty
[…]

V

* “Various Stages” by Great Lake Swimmers
[…]
* “Vincent” by Don McLean
[…]

W

* “War on Drugs” by Barenaked Ladies
* “War Inside My Head” by Dream Theater
[…]
* “Weep for Jamie” by Peter, Paul and Mary
[…]
* “When I Fall” by Barenaked Ladies
[…]
* “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men at Work
* “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” by Travis
[…]
* “Withdrawn” by James
[…]

Y

[…]
* “You Gotta Be Crazy” by Pink Floyd
* “You Knew Me To The End” by Geri Karlstrom
[…]
* “Your Evil Soul” by The Spill Canvas
[…]

Z

[…]

I will be updating this post over time. If you have any songs you’d like me to add, please leave a comment. If there are songs that you think don’t belong here, please tell me which ones and why. Thanks!

Low Cost Spay and Neuter in Chicagoland

The only way to truly cut down on the thousands of adoptable animals put down every year due to the good homes is to spay/neuter them so that less unwanted animals are born.

This is the responsibility of every pet parent and anyone seeking to adopt out their pet. Many times, I see postings online of people giving away kittens that are surely from “oops” litters. Undoubtedly, many litters of kittens and puppies arrive at shelters for the same reason. Sadly, people who allow their animals to engage in uncontrolled breeding often further their irresponsibility by giving away the kittens and puppies without fixing them first, pushing the responsibility onto someone else, who may in turn have an “oops” litter.

At the same time, there are also wonderful people out there that rescue animals they find on the street or in their backyards, and seek to have them fixed and given medical attention.

Note: Below is a Craigslist posting by an anonymous person that lists places that you can spay/neuter your pet for free or at a substantial discount. You should call to verify the information as fees and hours change over time. The bolding and underlining is my own.

The following places offer free and low cost spay/neuter for dogs and cats:

City of Chicago:

Anti-Cruelty Society
157 W. Grand
Chicago, IL 60654
You can call (312) 644-8338 ext. 347 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule an appointment.
Dogs: $40 (neuter) $60 (spay)
Cats: $10
Pit Bulls and Feral Cats: FREE
http://www.anticruelty.org

Chicago Animal Care and Control
2741 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 747-1406
Dogs and cats: $25 (additional $25 fee if pet is 50 lb. or heavier)
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/animalcarecontrol

PAWS Chicago
3516 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 521-7729 (SPAY)
Dogs: $75 (additional fee if dog is 50 lb. or heavier)
Cats: $25
http://www.pawschicago.org

Tree House Humane Society
1629 N. Ashland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 227-5535
Free and low cost spay/neuter provided on a sliding scale based on income.
Dogs: starting at $45
Dogs over 50 lbs.: starting at $65
Cats: starting at $25
Feral Cats: $20
http://www.treehouseanimals.org

In all of these Chicago clinics, you may be eligible for a free spay/neuter surgery if you live in a certain zip code and/or are on Medicaid. You must be a resident of Chicago to receive free and low cost spay/neuter at Anti-Cruelty and Chicago ACC. Call for more details.

Chicago suburbs:

Aha! Alliance For Humane Action
North/Northwest Suburbs
(847) 960-8689 ext. 1
Dogs: $85 (up to 25 lbs.) $95 (25-80 lbs.) $110 (over 80 lbs.)
Cats: $75
There is an additional $20 fee if animal is in heat/pregnant.
http://ahaworks.org

Anderson Animal Shelter
1000 S. La Fox Rd.
South Elgin, IL 60177
(847) 697-2880 ext. 3
Dogs: $90 (neuter) $100 (spay)
Dogs over 50 lbs.: $100 (neuter) $110 (spay)
Cats: $60 (neuter) $80 (spay)
http://www.andersonanimalshelter.org

Animal Care League
1013 Garfield St.
Oak Park, IL 60304
(708) 848-8155
Dogs: $50
Cats: $35
http://www.animalcareleague.org

Animal Welfare League
10305 Southwest Highway
Chicago Ridge, IL 60415
(708) 636-8586
Dogs: $119-$174 (price determined by weight)
Cats: $75
http://www.animalwelfareleague.com

NAWS Animal Clinic
10080 W. 191st St.
Mokena, IL 60448
(708) 478-5102
There is reduced pricing for people on public assistance. Call for details.
Special spay/neuter promotion during the month of May:
Dogs: $70
Dogs over 75 lbs.: $90
Cats: $40
Pit Bulls: $50
http://www.nawsus.org

South Suburban Humane Society
18349 S. Halsted
Glenwood, IL 60425
(708) 755-1110
There is reduced pricing for residents of certain zip codes.
Dogs: $55 (neuter) $65 (spay)
Dogs over 75 lbs.: $75
Pit Bulls: $50
Cats: $40 (neuter) $50 (spay)
http://www.sshspets.org

Save lives – spay and neuter!

Reduced Cost Medications

DISCLAIMER: We are not doctors and nothing written in this blog should be taken as medical advice. It is meant to complement, not replace, the relationship with your doctor. Please check all information with your doctor, pharmacist, insurance company, and mental health treatment team. We cannot attest to the veracity of everything in this post.

Please note: This post has been written by both my friend JC and myself. He also deserves credit for the research entailed in this post.

Psychiatric medications, like most medications, are not cheap. Oftentimes, the high price is due to the fact that the medication is still patented, and so there is no generic alternative. The federal government has repeatedly introduced programs for pharmaceutical companies to extend their patents, and it appears that many medications may be delayed in becoming generic. However, there are some ways to cut down on costs, rather than forgo your medications altogether.

Always Check to See if There is a Generic – Just Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist

By federal law, generics are required to be just as effective as name-brand medications. Always ask the person prescribing your medication if it’s generic, and if not, if there is an alternative with a generic version. If you are having financial difficulties, you can tell your doctor this and ask if there’s a generic medication that can be substituted for the name brand one. To fully know your options, do your research at home. Your doctor may not know all the generics that exist and may not readily think of substitutes, especially in cases where a generic has only recently become available. It would probably be best to print out any relevant information you find to show it to your doctor directly.

One thing to be careful of is if the dosing is different for the same medication based on if it is name-brand or generic. For example, the name-brand medication might come in 88mg and 100mg but the generic only comes in 100mg. For this, you might have to split the pills or have the amount be slightly off. Always check with your doctor first.

Another issue with generics (and even within the same name-brand medication) is that sometimes there are several different release formulas for the same medication. For example, you may have been prescribed “extended release” or “sustained release” and the generic does not have this version. You will have to consult with your doctor to see what you should do about this.

To get discount generics, try chain pharmacies. Many such as Target, Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and others offer $4/month generics or a similar deal. Just ask to see the price list and what medications are discounted. Also keep in mind that some programs require an annual fee, while others (which are better deals) offer this without a fee. You will be paying for the medications out of pocket and DO NOT need health insurance to access this discount. For any medications that you can’t afford to get filled, make sure you hold onto your scripts while you shop around.

Discount Programs and Coupons

Asking for Medication Samples From Your Doctor

Some doctors have medication samples that they are able to give out to their patients. They were likely given to them by drug company marketing representatives. Only ask for medications that your doctor has talked about prescribing to you. We don’t know how effective this tactic might be, as your doctor may say no or might not have any samples to give out, but theoretically, it shouldn’t hurt to ask.

Pharmaceutical Company Discounts

Most drug companies, in an effort to improve their public image and remain competitive, have programs in which they give out their medication for free or at a discount rate. Another reason they’re doing this is because they want to discourage people from switching to a competitor’s medication due to economic factors.

Of course, drug companies are businesses. They exist to support their bottom line (and often their shareholders), to keep costs down, and increase profits. The most successful way to do this is to create effective medications that help people who take them, but there have been cases where medications have been hyped beyond their effectiveness. Remember to ask critical questions of your doctor, and make sure you’re comfortable with whatever medications they suggest.

Don’t be surprised if the task for applying for these programs is arduous requiring lots of paperwork, visits to doctors, and long waiting periods. While it may be worth a try, please don’t rely on this as your back-up option.

The best system for searching for these discount programs is the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, which is sponsored by the major pharmaceutical companies. You simply enter the medications you are taking, and it returns a list of programs that are available.

If anyone as any additional suggestions or experiences to share, please let me know!

Tips on Researching Medications

Note: My friend JC is acting as a guest poster. The writing and opinions below are his.

With the boom in the number of types of psychiatric medications today, it’s easy for the average person to get lost in trying to figure out what their actual medication does and how it works. This information has long been available to medical professionals, but by the nature of their work these resources speak in technical terms, which many patients are unfamiliar with.

While I personally use the Nursing Drug Handbook published by Lippincott, which may be useful if you have an average amount of medical terminology knowledge, even this resource can be over the heads of many people. With that in mind, here are some resources that I myself have used in the past, and which may be useful to other people.

CrazyMeds.us

Somewhat poorly named site aside, CrazyMeds.us is a comprehensive site in plain English written by a man who has extensive experience with psychiatric medications. He compiles information from prescribing information sheets (the papers included in every package of pills received by pharmacists, which describes to doctors and pharmacists information on the medication), research articles, and other sources, then presents it in an easy-to-understand format. Medications are broken down into class, so that you can also see what type of medication you are taking.

Unfortunately, the site also suffers from a problem with ease of navigation. The text may be a little hard to read, and finding your specific medication may be difficult at first. However, once you find what you’re looking for, I’m sure you’ll find that this site is an invaluable resource.

Wikipedia

These days, I’m sure everyone is familiar with Wikipedia. As a result of this popularity, many medication articles on the site are pretty well written. Being an encyclopedia, it also describes the technical side of the medication, which may be confusing, but after that section it goes into the patient-oriented side of the medication. These sections often prove very useful, since it goes not only into the scientific side of things, but often the history of the medication and any issues that may have arisen over time.

Unfortunately, depending on the popularity of the medication and random factors, some articles may not be written yet, or may be just a shell. Wikipedia is an entirely voluntary system, and if no one has written anything yet, it won’t be there. Another thing to keep in mind is that, by virtue of being completely open to edits, sometimes incorrect information may sneak into an article. Keep a critical mind, and Wikipedia can be useful.

Conclusion

The immense amount of information on the Internet has opened up new sources for people to find more information on their psychiatric medications in plain English. By using the above resources, you can be more informed about what you’re taking, and maybe learn some interesting tidbits along the way.

Important note: Remember, nothing you read online can replace the trained knowledge of your doctor. The above resources are meant to complement, not replace, the relationship with your doctor. If you are concerned about any information you find on the above resources, see your doctor immediately. Do not make changes to your medication without your doctor’s knowledge and approval. Neither of us are licensed medical professionals.

Evaluating Other Mental Health Blogs

I’ve been procrastinating by looking through other people’s blogs for ones that I feel support the messages that I’m trying to get across in this blog rather than duplicating what they’ve already written. In the future, I’ll probably copy and paste their entries and do my best to do full attributions to give them credit for their work.

One that I came across is:
Marine Snow
http://operationlola.wordpress.com/

It’s written from the point of view of someone struggling with anorexia. I like the blog because it details what it’s like for her to have anorexia, her mentality behind it, her view of her disorder and its effects, and well as how she feels about her treatment staff.

The last part is of great concern to my husband, who is concerned about people who appear to advocate on behalf of those who reject their treatment plans and think that their mental health staff are conspiring against them. Hence, I’m talking about this blog in a post rather than directly linking to it in the blog roll.

Personally, I can see his point of view as I agree that people need to become educated consumers and understand that the mental health profession is there to help people, not control them. While it did used to be this way decades ago, it’s not anymore. Also, people have more choices. If you don’t like your doctor or therapist, you are free to select another one that is a better fit for you. At the same time, you need to be honest with yourself as to whether or not you are switching doctors because you don’t think they’re suited to treat you or because you’re just using it as a way to avoid treatment altogether.

One of the objectives of this blog is to advocate for the use of therapy, medication, and support groups to treat mental illness while acknowledging the misgivings that I and other people have. Many Americans are highly skeptical of the medical profession because they are touted as knowing more about ourselves than we do. I think this is purely a construction of the mainstream media, which is often incorrect in it’s depiction of mental illness in many regards, especially symptoms, treatment, and humanity.

As stated before, I am not very knowledgeable about medications myself and rely heavily on my husband. Physical science is above my head. He suggests Crazy Meds and often relies as well on more scientific materials that are not written in laymen’s terms. (He already has a BA and wants to go to med school so he’s better trained in reading this stuff.)

Since social sciences and humanities are more my thing, I’ve read up on issues related to mental illness, therapeutic treatments like CBT, and general wellness advice from professors teaching at reputable schools.

From an education point of view, the most important things are to learn how to learn and to use critical thinking. Always know your sources and what their agenda is. This is what being educated really is.