About Me and My Blog
I am a mom, a wife, a Christian, graphic artist/photographer, work-a-holic, mildly nuts woman. I (like my husband) deal with hard situations with a rather twisted sense of humor. But make no mistake, I cry about as much as I laugh — so when you see me make light of rather dark circumstances, it’s not that I don’t take those problems seriously, it’s just the way I’ve chosen to deal. My moments of tears will come later.
I am a resident of “Crazyland” — not because I have a mental illness — but because I am very close to other people who do. My husband has OCD (“Pure O”) and my Mother In Law has a cocktail of issues that all seem to stem from anxiety. She can be delusional, paranoid, she is extremely emotionally immature (I personally think she also has a personality disorder), super depressed and all the baggage that comes with it. Her official diagnosis seems to waver between schizophrenic to paranoid-depressed. In addition to this, I have had close relatives with Alzheimers.
About My Blog
My intention is to create a place of support for those who are affected by mental illness by proxy.
This is not to lessen or downplay the tragedy of those who have mental illness. Though we may laugh because the only other alternative is to cry, mental illness can be an absolute nightmare for those who are directly afflicted. And it is serious business. That’s why there are professionals, forums, groups and many other established established support systems for those who are directly afflicted.
Yet mental illness affects more than just an individual. It can also have a significant impact on the people around the person. Loved ones, co-workers, friends, neighbors … the closer you are, the greater the impact can be. A person afflicted with a mental illness can be toxic, manipulative, an “emotional vampire,” even abusive. Worse, it’s not entirely their fault so a normal brain can say, “It’s not their fault, I shouldn’t be angry, yet I am.” And while I have found some support for those not directly affected by mental illness, there really isn’t a whole lot out there.
That’s why I’m writing this blog.
My intention is to write about my own experiences, but I also want to open it up to others who also are in a similar situation. I’ve invited my husband to contribute, while he has OCD himself, he also greatly affected by the mental illness of his mother.
I welcome the experiences, questions and input from you as well. If you want to contribute, please see my Contributions page.
