So Proud

I just got back from the WVHS Academic Awards Banquet with my daughter.  She is in the top 20 in her Junior class.  Through suicide attempts, severe depression, and everyday anxieties of being a teenager, she has been able to maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average her whole entire high school career thus far.  I have got to be the proudest mom on the block.  I can honestly say that I don't know how she did it.  Most of the time, when things are bad in your life, the first thing that suffers are your grades.  Not my girl's grades.  Maybe it is the only thing that is stable in her life that she has some control over.  Who knows!  I am just glad that she has done her best. This just goes to show that having a mental illness doesn't mean you are stupid, undeserving, or not capable of succeeding.  She accomplished a great feat. The stigma stops here.  I Love you, Baby.

Stop the Stigma of Mental Illness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Please Support Mental Illness

Stop the Stigma of Mental Illness

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

I refer to my depression as Hello Darkness, My Old Friend.  I haven't referred to it as that until recently.  It just seem fitting.  Always there, like a toxic friend from the past that you refuse to break away from.

This is my letter relinquishing the control that depression has on me.  I know that I have an illness but I do not have to let it make me despondent.  Always Hopelessly Hopeful.







**I came across this on Facebook. I am not sure where it came from or who wrote it.**

Reflection on the April A to Z Blogging Challenge

I just have to say, WOW!  I cannot believe that I actually accomplished something.  I, Jamie, made a commitment and followed through to the end.  Go Me!  I am known for starting things and never finishing them.  Now I feel proud knowing that that, yes, I can finish what I started if I wanted to bad enough.

This challenge was my first blogging challenge ever and it has made me a better blogger.  I am working on writing better blog content. I am more dedicated to my blogs now.  I know now that blogging is what I was meant to do.  I met so many great blogs this past month and some really awesome bloggers. I hope to try and visit the challenge list to get to some of the ones I didn't get a chance to see. This has definitely been a great opportunity for me and can't wait until next year.

Thanks to everybody on the A to Z Challenge team, Awesome Job, Guys!

Now, if you don't mind, I am late to my next challenge!

The Mom Pledge

                                                                                             On one of my many trips around the blogosphere, I came across something pretty cool.  It is a site by Elizabeth Flora Ross.   She strives to create a community where moms are safe from bullying.  The Mom Pledge is about mom bloggers coming together to end cyber bullying among moms.  We women need to support one another.  We need to encourage each other to do our best.  We should be positive role models for one another and be there for each other to share the ups and down of motherhood, life, blogging, work, home, and keeping everything in balance. We need to help, promote, and praise our fellow bloggers.  Let's strive to keep the Internet, social media outlets, and the blogospere a safe, positive, place to be.  If we each strive to keep ourselves and our surroundings online as respectful, compassionate, and fun as possible, then at least we know we are doing our part.

Take the pledge today!

Depression, Mental Health, Mental Illness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month 

I pledged to blog for Mental Health.  I thought I would share with you some pictures, quotes and sayings that pertain to Mental Illness and Depression.  Please visit my personal facebook page picture album, Depression and Mental Health Awareness.   

Also check out my pinterest Board, Hello Darkness My Old  Friend, This is what I call my depression, it is like an old friend.

Remember you are not alone.  I hope you enjoy them! Don't get too sad :)

Support Mental Health

May is Mental Health
   Awareness Month

Teen Suicide Info for Parents

What is Depression?

        

Not only do I suffer from depression, so does my daughter.  We just take it day by day, sometimes it is all we can do to get up in the morning. The sadness is overwhelming at times that the tears don't want to stop.  We just want the pain to end. The medication doesn't help 100% so it seems that we are always stuck with that little piece of sadness that won't go away. What kind of life is this? Now is the time, I will no longer hide my depression.  It will no longer control me. 
I will fight to stay alive. I will have hope for another day. 

Please join me in the fight for acceptance of Mental Illness.  Mental Illness is just that, an illness. If we all just do a little bit, understand a little bit, comfort a  little bit, and speak out a little bit then maybe we could make a difference.  People need to know that it is okay to ask for help.  It is okay to ask for the treatment they need. They shouldn't feel stupid or scared about what other people might think of them.  It is not their fault that they feel bad, feel anxiety, want to die, or cannot get out of bed. 

The stigma associated with Mental Illnesses must stop.  We do not need to feel discriminated upon anymore. We are all real people, with real lives wanting to 
live a better life.

Here are some things you could do to raise awareness:
--Visit The Healthy Place and Join the Campaign to 

Stand Up for Mental Health

--Take the Bring Change 2 Mind Pledge
--Get the Facts on Mental Health at the National Alliance on Mental Health
--Go to the National Institute on Mental Health. They hope that one day we 

will live in a world where mental illnesses are prevented and cured.

Thanks for listening to me rant about a good cause.  It gives me great comfort to be able to talk about mental illness and to advocate for its acceptance.  It is something I live with every day. It is all too familiar.  I won't let my depression define me but I will not apologize for who I am either.  

Mental Illness Affects Everyone