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Topics - paulm

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16
General Discussion / Gone Camping
« on: August 14, 2015, 03:15:32 am »
Hello Everyone. I will be away from this Sat.to the 23rd camping. As I do not take any method to communicate with the outside world when I'm camping I cannot reply to any messages etc until I get back. Of course sometimes I don't communicate with the world to much when I have everything around me LOL.

 Just to make you all jealous I plan on doing not to much (you would think that I would like a break from doing that LOL) , just abit of hiking, canoeing and sitting around the campfire. If I feel real energetic, maybe I'll even try abit of fishing.  Take Care Everyone. 

17
General Discussion / Dancing
« on: August 13, 2015, 03:12:04 am »
Hello Grizzly. I've been meaning to say this for a while, but I love the quite at the bottom of your posts. For anyone who hasn't read it  "Living with depression is like trying to keep your balance while you dance with a goat"  . I'll admit to growing up in farm country, but I never tried to dance with a goat, however I can imagine that it is difficult and that your partner would be fairly stubborn about taking the lead  LOL. Much like depression Anyways I like it. Take Care. paul m

18
General Discussion / Laughing like crazy showcase
« on: July 09, 2015, 04:32:18 am »
Hello everyone. As Grizzlymantooth has pointed in another thread the next LLC is on July 21 and tickets are needed(they are free). They will go quickly. I can't meet up this time , but perhaps some of you others can get together. It's a great show. https://mooddisorders.ca/event/laughing-like-crazy-comedy-showcase-july-2015  Take Care. paul m

19
General Discussion / a few laughs(maybe)
« on: June 23, 2015, 11:31:16 pm »
Here are hopefully a few smiles to get everyone started on the summer with a smile. (or a groan with a few of the following)

 I broke up with my gym membership last week, we just weren't working out.

 Sometimes I wonder why I exist, then I remember that I breath out Carbon Dioxide, which trees need to exist. Hay I have a use after all!

 Sometimes I try counting sheep when I can't sleep. Unfortunately having bipolar sometimes mean that I have a little trouble concentrating. I tend to start off fine: 1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep, I wonder how much a wool sweater costs, maybe I'll look tomorrow when I go shopping,  tomorrow is Wednesday, I'll be have way through this miserable week,  man this has been a bad week,  I wonder why I can't sleep,  maybe I'll try counting sheep.  (try explaining that to your shrink LOL)

 Over the yrs I've learn't that my wife saying " I'm not mad at you" is like the dentist saying "you won't feel a thing".

 What did Shakespeare say when he was shopping for toilet paper. " 2 ply or not to ply, that is the question".

 I'm just learning how to text. My son hasn't been to dinner for a while so I sent him the following text. When are you coming to dinner, w.t.f. !!! He phoned upset. I didn't understand why until he told me that wtf, doesn't mean Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

 Please feel free to add a few good jokes . Take Care. Paul M

20
General Discussion / Meeting up
« on: June 01, 2015, 10:38:23 pm »
Hello Everyone. I'm in T.O latter this week for the  Annual conference for International Society Bipolar Disorders. I'm driving in every day, but if anyone would like to meet up after 6pm, I can stay for a while on Thursday or Friday nights. Take Care. paul m

21
General Discussion / Quiet these days
« on: May 03, 2015, 12:36:05 am »
Hello Everyone. It's been quiet on the forum these days and I know that I haven't been real active myself, but then for those that know me, they also know that spring isn't a great time for me. Plus I've been busy. Of course busy is a word with many meanings. For me it means taking 4 hrs to do 2 hrs work, but I'm getting there.

 In the last month I've meet a lot of people, most of them with mood disorders, so that has been a bonus this spring. I'm taking part in a research project with Crest BD(bipolar Disorder) which has been really interesting because they actually ask me what wellness tools that I use, rather than telling me what wellness tools I should use. Plus there has been a series of webinars on various parts of our lives living with bipolar.  They also work with doctors to improve techniques.

 They have just launched a wellness centre, it has some pretty interesting things and is worth a look. http://www.bdwellness.com/

 Last Saturday I was able to get together at a forum that the MDAO provided for facilitators of peer support groups and it was a pretty interesting day. We had a person from ARCH disability law speak and Becky C from the MDAO provided a workshop on safeTalk.  I hosted the whole event, so of course it was an interesting day  LOL.

 I also attended a Suicide awareness event in April and to close, rather than have a speaker they had some MDAO comics from the laughing like crazy show, so that was pretty good too.
 
 In June, the 3rd to the 6th, I'm attending the International Bipolar Society Conference in Toronto, so I hope that during one of the evenings I can meet up with some of you.

 Finally, every day I look at my van and think that I never wished Rich a happy birthday, so I hope that you had a happy birthday Rich.   And no I haven't lost what few marbles I have left, my license plate actually has the mth and day of Rich's birthday.  Take Care. paul m

22
General Discussion / stormy days
« on: February 28, 2015, 10:53:14 pm »
Hello Everyone. In another post some one mentioned dancing to the beat of their own drummer. That reminded me of the book that the MDAO published a few years back called Dancing in the Rain.  It wasn't the title that caught my eye , it was the quote on the inside cover.

 "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain". 

 In my mind it's certainly true. It seems that there have been more stormy days in my life than sunny days. It took a long time, but my life improved once I learned not to wait for those sunny days to try and enjoy life. 

 Here is a link to some google images to go with quote , some are pretty cute. Perhaps some of them will help brighten your day. Take Care. paul m     

https://www.google.ca/search?q=life+isn%27t+about+waiting+for+the+storm+to+pass+it%27s+about+learning+to+dance+in+the+rain+meaning&espv=2&biw=1344&bih=734&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=doTyVNPpDM20yATou4GoCg&ved=0CDwQsAQ

23
General Discussion / Bell's "Lets Talk"
« on: January 09, 2015, 11:46:51 pm »
Hello Everyone. This is some info on Bell's "Let's Talk " 2015 campaign. It contains some interesting info  http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/news/131/bell-lets-talk-day-2015-is-january-28-join-the-national-conversation-about-mental-health

  Part of the website states  "“Ending the stigma of mental illness depends on building greater awareness, acceptance and action."

 They have testimonials, which can be found on Utube, in connection with this campaign, with celebs such as Clara Hughes    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ECun4HwzE

Michael Landsberg   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWZUe-AxHbE

Mary Walsh   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b2Pv9e69hg

Howie Mandel   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVZCnotBi4

and many other younger celebs such as Lauren Toyota  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5uTKkRMjmc 

 Phoebe Dykstra (MTV) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEwh3oVJB-k   

   Each utube video takes about a minute to watch and some deal with stigma and others give ideas about better habits that we can use to help ourselves.  I'm unsure how many there are in total.  I think that some are better than others, but as a whole, between the webiste and the testimonials, I think that this will raise awareness.

 What do you think of them? Take Care. paul m

24
General Discussion / Seasons Greetings
« on: December 16, 2014, 10:19:04 pm »
Hello Everyone. I would like to extend to each and everyone of you Seasons Greetings and I hope that you all have a safe holiday season. I know that for many of you this holiday season will be pretty bleak and that is unfortunate. I've been through many holiday seasons that  I didn't know how I was going to make it even one more day. I've been broke, alone, depressed, frustrated and, well let's just say that there wasn't a lot to be merry about. 

 However things change and there is hope. I can't say that I'm not poor and I certainly have enough illnesses to keep the medical system broke for a few more years, but all of that doesn't matter, because I'm pretty happy these days.

  I hope that in 2015 you will all find a way to enjoy your lives in at least some small way and then be able to build from there. Best wishes to everyone for the holiday season. Take Care. paul m

 

25
General Discussion / Touched by Fire
« on: November 20, 2014, 09:40:57 am »
Hello Everyone. The Touched by Fire art show(an MDAO initiative) is coming up on Dec3rd. I don't think I'm going to be able to make it, but it is usually a good show. for more details http://www.touchedbyfire.co/   

 Entrance is free, but they do ask for a donation http://www.touchedbyfire.co/attend-the-show/ 
  Take Care. paul m

26
Depression and Bipolar / Bipolar 1 studies and mixed states
« on: October 30, 2014, 08:18:19 pm »
Hello Everyone. I came across a couple of interesting articles dealing with bipolar. One was a study and the other was an article. When I read study I was tempted to be sarcastic and say " No Sh*T, Sherlock, great detective work, did it take you long to discover the obvious " because to me they were just stating the obvious.

 However after some reflection it is good to see that at least somebody is talking about mixed states, because in my experience it is a rare doctor who mentions it to a patient, yet it makes bipolar harder to diagnose and to treat.

  Both of these articles came out of BP Hope magazine (a great magazine). I am passing them on to you as they may a difference in your understanding of your illness and what is required to treat it.

 The IMPACT study had this to say about people who have bipolar 1

"People with bipolar I disorder rarely experience symptom free periods. Between the severe mood episodes, people with bipolar I disorder often have residual symptoms, which contributes to impaired functioning."

 I can vouch for that. I don't know how many times that I have been asked "I'm not manic or depressed, how come when I try to return to work, I seem to be unable to function? My only answer is, your brain needs time to rest and recover.

 The study also advises "While there is no cure for bipolar I disorder, it is a treatable condition. Treatment often includes a combination of medications and psychotherapy, support and education".

 Again it's nice to see a study come up with the fact that it takes a lot more than swallowing pills to make you better.

 The IMPACT study is surprisingly accurate and interesting. In one part they found that in Canada it took over 5 yrs for 31% of the people top be diagnosed and another 32% took 1-5 yrs. Considering the degree of illness that has person has with bipolar 1, those percentages are extremely high and I often wonder how so many doctors can miss the diagnosis.  Give it a read, the whole study is interesting
 https://www.impactofbipolar.com/en

 In the same issue Roger McIntyre, MD, FRCPC writes a great article on mixed states and that produce anxiety, irritability etc etc. He advises "should my treatment be different if I have episodes with mixed symptoms? In a word, yes."

 He then goes on to explain why.  http://www.bphope.ca/   Dr. McIntryre is a great doc who has long been a mega phone for change in the way people with bipolar should be treated.  (medically wise)
Take Care. paul m

27
General Discussion / Away
« on: September 12, 2014, 11:32:12 pm »
Hello Everybody. I will be away on Vacation for the next wk. If anyone has any problems you can contact Daniel F on this website or Eric J at the MDAO.

 I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable week. Take Care. paul m

28
General Discussion / A rant and a laugh
« on: September 05, 2014, 11:26:57 pm »
Hello Everyone. In the area I live there is a very secure hospital where people from all over Canada are placed who are considered a danger to the public. (to put it mildly)

 Recently one of them escaped. Said hospital will not say exactly how long this person was at large nor how big of danger the public was in. Here are parts of various press releases. (I have removed the names) .The hospital is the province’s only maximum-security forensic hospital.
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 This is how CTV reported it " People who live near the centre are just learning a patient had escaped and wished they had been told sooner.

 The Barrie examiner had this to say:Inmate XXXXX who is considered violent and dangerous, managed to get out of the XXXXX Centre late Saturday night, Residents in the areas for at least a km away recall hearing the blaring of sirens and saw emergency vehicles racing by, but never knew what all the commotions was about.

  Staff say the new XXXXX facility was just an escape waiting to happen and there are safety concerns since the new building opened
 
 Further information gleaned from sources say that the patient escaped at 9.15pm and was not found by the police for several hrs. The change of staff at 11pm were all escorted by police to their cars as a safety precaution.

the man was found by police and taken to hospital with serious injuries, including a broken vertebrae and dog bites. The SIU is investigating.
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 The Centre itself reported it this way: XXXXXX, a provincial specialty mental health and addiction hospital located in XXXXX Ontario, is extending its thanks again to the staff and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for a quick and successful resolution shortly after a patient elopement on August 23, 2014 that resulted in no risk to the public. The hospital has taken extra precaution to ensure this cannot happen again etc etc.
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   So you have a violent and dangerous patient escaping and the staff need to be escorted to their cars by police, yet according to the hospital nobody was in any danger.I know that once you get out of this secure facility you are within an easy 5 min. walk of a large subdivision and if they were escorting staff to their cars, this person could have easily gotten off of the ground as there are no fences surronding the parking lot. (I've visited many people and attended many meetings at this centre)

 I have two points here. One, we all worry about stigma and lack of treatment facilities. No one wants a half way house or group home for mentally ill people, partly because of fear. The XXXXX centre is not helping our cause by releasing a B.S. statement like above and using words like elopement, no danger, etc. This only adds to the distrust that people feel towards those in charge of the mentally ill.  Not to alert the people who live within a 5 min walk was irresponsible. While they claim this person was no danger to the public because they figured he was in a nearby wooded area, the fact remains that he broke out of a maximum security facility, climbed 3 security fences, one 30 ft high, probably means that this guy was pretty slippery. And as said, they were worried enough to escort staff to their cars.

 It would have been better to own up to the fact that they should have alerted the locals and that they will do so in the future.  OK enough ranting on my part.  The following may amuse you.

 2) I had never heard the term elopement used in this manner before, so I looked it up and the generally accepted meaning in several dictionaries was: an act or instance of running off secretly, as to be married. That I had heard many times.  However I found out that it can also mean.

  an act or instance of leaving a safe area or safe premises, done by a person with a mental disorder or cognitive impairment.  (news to me)

 So my question now is, does that mean if we elope to get married is it because we are mentally ill and have a desire to leave a safe premise. LOL Take Care. paul m


29
General Discussion / Dr K.
« on: August 19, 2014, 12:37:20 am »
Hello Everyone. Things are bit slow on the forum so I thought I would bring up a subject that I had mentioned on the old forum.

 DR K. is a practicing shrink and also has a face book page called Dr K. psychiatry. While some may say that I am being derogatory when I call him Dr K and refer to him as a shrink, the sign to his office actually sez "Welcome to Dr K's Shrink Shop" . His last name is difficult for some people to pronounce and he has a wry sense of humour, thus he encourages his patients just to call him Dr K.

 On Face Book he posts a lot of interesting articles, comments, tips and cartoons. I find the cartoons hilarious, the tips helpful and the articles and re posts interesting. I tend to forget to look at his page and I know that I shouldn't because he usually has something good to say.( including several articles about Robin Williams)

 Give him a look. https://www.facebook.com/Dr.KPsychiatry  Take Care. paul m

30
General Discussion / People who may have missed the switch
« on: August 14, 2014, 11:07:50 pm »
Hello Everyone. I know that a lot of you have found the new forum. However there were some casual posters who may not know that we have moved. People like Father George, Meow or Not Lost to think of just a few.

 I have sent out emails to some of them, but I don't have Meow's or Father Georges email. So if anyone can send people who may have once been on the forum an email showing where we moved to, I would appreciate it. Thx and Take Care. paul m

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