Published in Invisible Illness·Nov 16, 2020Member-onlyThe Catch-22 of Mental Illness And MedicaidFighting mental illness is hard enough without having to beg for treatment. — Our son recently turned 40. He lives with numerous health and mental health challenges. He was in a serious accident in his late teens and now has degenerative disk disorder in his spine. …Mental Health4 min readMental Health4 min read
Oct 16, 2020Member-onlyWhat My Daughter Learned About Our “New Normal” of Pediatric CareThink twice before calling your child’s doctor One Saturday, several weeks ago, we watched our four-year-old grandson play soccer. Of course, at that age, it’s a hoot. Unlike his mother decades ago, he never came running off the field in tears crying, “Somebody kicked me!” …Covid 193 min readCovid 193 min read
Aug 20, 2020Member-onlyWomen Sent to Insane Asylums for “Reading Novels” — Really?Some of the acceptable reasons for having women committed to insane asylums in the mid- to late-19th century For years now people and organizations have worked hard to de-stigmatize mental illness. Advancing mental illness as a legitimate health issue, and working to reduce the fear and shame associated with it…Mental Health2 min readMental Health2 min read
Jul 30, 2020Member-onlyThe Cost of Education in 2020Los Angeles teacher’s union demands are manipulative and have little to do with educating our children. The Los Angeles Teacher’s Union (UTLA), one of the largest teacher’s unions in the country, has declared they will not return to the classroom until a “set of safety precautions and funding conditions are…Coronavirus3 min readCoronavirus3 min read
Jul 12, 2020Member-onlyHow I Dealt With My Child Threatening To Call Social ServicesThere was no foundation for it. My husband and I grew up in a completely different America. In the 1950s and 1960s, we had never heard of social services and very seldom did someone report child abuse. I remember one summer evening when it was still light outside and the…Self4 min readSelf4 min read
Apr 30, 2020Member-onlyI Refuse to Accept This As Our New NormalThis isn’t the first time the world, and the US, have faced disaster, and this time I’m not going to blindly follow what the government says is the best way to deal with it. I’ve been alive long enough to remember being vaccinated for polio; when measles meant death or…Covid 19 Crisis5 min readCovid 19 Crisis5 min read
Apr 24, 2020Member-onlyChina Angry that World Refers to Coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus”It appears we are not being nice to China. China is complaining that the coronavirus shouldn’t be linked to them. They say it isn’t a Chinese virus and that viruses don’t have a nationality. Well, first of all, I haven’t heard it referred to as “The Chinese Virus,” although I…Self4 min readSelf4 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Apr 12, 2020Member-only3 Ideas to Help You Stay Sane During IsolationToo much togetherness can make you a little cranky… or crazy — Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Here’s how someone explained it to me many years ago. Let’s say you’ve had a very stressful week. Your boss was on a rampage, the daily commute was unusually nightmarish, and your mother called 17 times in five days. It’s finally Friday night, it’s raining, and your best friend calls. …Life5 min readLife5 min read
Published in Invisible Illness·Apr 8, 2020Member-only5 Ways To Manage Your Mental Health During the Coronavirus PandemicSymptoms such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, insomnia, and eating disorders may very well worsen as you continue to self-isolate. It’s up to you to do whatever you can to control those symptoms. It doesn’t matter which mental illness(es) you live with, the isolation, fear, and anxiety of the coronavirus can…Life6 min readLife6 min read
Mar 19, 2020Member-onlyNow That We Have the Coronavirus, What Happened to the Opioid Epidemic?The media leaps on the latest disaster or tragedy, and moves on leaving the past behind. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Epidemic is a term that is often broadly used to describe any problem that has grown out of control. An epidemic is defined as “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide…Health6 min readHealth6 min read
