Episode 5: Crisis and Competence: When Medical Perspectives Differ
By: Carolann Introduction: Figuring out when a loved one is in crisis and whether they are competent to make medical decisions is a tough part of caregiving. Caregivers often face complex situations, trying to tell if someone is just being defiant or genuinely can’t cope. Knowing the signs of a crisis and reacting correctly can […]
Episode 4: Navigating Caregiving: Empowering Those Who Support Loved Ones
By: Carolann Introduction: Taking care of a loved one who struggles with substance use disorder (SUD) can be very hard and emotionally draining. It takes a lot of strength, patience, and the ability to handle a difficult healthcare system. Besides dealing with the behavioral issues caused by SUD, caregivers also have to manage their own […]
Episode 3: Myths and Misconceptions
By: Carolann Introduction In this episode, we turn our attention to common myths and misconceptions about mental health and substance use disorder treatment. These misconceptions shape policies and treatment methods, adding to the stigma and discrimination in healthcare. This post will discuss how these myths affect people like Acheron and their caregivers and why we […]
Episode 2: The Personal Toll of Stigma: Navigating the Maze of Caregiving for Mental Illness
By: Carolann Introduction: In our journey to understand the complexities of caregiving for those with mental illness, we will explore the personal impact of stigma. As caregivers, we often find ourselves balancing love, duty, and societal judgment. This post examines the challenges caregivers face, drawing from personal experiences and the broader landscape of mental healthcare. […]
Episode 1: Acheron’s Legacy: From Renowned Educator to Tragic Victim of Systemic Neglect
By: Carolanne Introduction: My name is Carolann, and I lost my beloved partner in December of 2023 to complications from mental illness and alcohol use disorder. This is the story of our journey. I have used my real name, but I am choosing a pseudonym to conceal my partner’s identity at the request of other […]
Addiction Treatment: a state of neglect
By: A sibling/caregiver/nurse My parents are retired. They worked their whole lives to provide for their children, including drives to Disney Worldat March break in a Ford caravan, summertime camps, and all of the day to day demands of looking after three children… so when they announced that they would be taking a much-deserved holiday, […]
Overcoming The Stigma Of Substance-Induced Psychosis
By: Kat E If you told me 3 years ago that I would be riding the wave of cannabis induced psychosis with my teenage son J, I would look at you with complete bewilderment. Even though I’ve worked in the mental health & addiction field for years, I wasn’t prepared for what was to […]
It’s not my fault, it was an accident, I didn’t know.
My son Nicholas My beautiful boy was perfect in every way but one. His brain was broken. I knew it from day one and I was ready to do anything to help him, anything I could. As it turned out, that was going to be nowhere near enough to save him. A mother’s heart doesn’t […]
God why me?
By: Joanne Helm On a very cold day this year, I came home from work, sat on my bed with tears in my eyes, and asked God: why me? Believe it or not a voice in my head boomed out: why not you Joanne? Like many of you, I took my child’s mental illness, his […]
My Journey with My Son
By: A Toronto Mother We started noticing a change in our son at 14. The checkboxes for mental health red flags we are instructed to look for in our children were all there: School refusal? Check. Self-isolation? Check. Excessive sleeping? Check. Decline in academic performance? Check. Weight loss? Check. Expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness? Check. […]
