Today feature blog comes from on of the most intriguing person I know Catherine Mellen. Catherine’s story is one of victory because when you read her blogs (written as if you’re reading a book “cliff-hanger”) you realize she’s a brave soul. Her story of survival is remarkable and what I love and admire most about Catherine journey is that she doesn’t allow her circumstances define her as a person.
Fun Facts About Catherine:
Favorite book is “The Outsiders” by Jack Kerouac
Favorite place to be creative is cemetary. (Peaceful, Serenity & Tranquility)
Her good friend Jon inspired her to write.
Please take a moment to read her incredible blog and don’t forget to subscribe.
You can follow Catherine on social media. “Irishgirl69”
Thank you Catherine for sharing your story.
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Hello all you masters of words, as I sit here listening to my playlist from the 80’s feeling nostalgic, I find myself longing for the good old times. Missing old buddies, one particular friend comes to mind. She is one of my champions, who encouraged me to continue writing. She and I go way back. I can still see her waiting for me up on the Blvd (Hollywood Blvd) at our spot, planning our ditch day. I recently found two of my diaries realizing that one of the diaries is solely about her and our adventures together. True to form most of the crew we hung out with all but disappeared, not true with her. We kept in touch making our bond stronger. Her story of courage has inspired me to write this blog. This blog post is dedicated to my dear friend Beth.
Too Much Noise: There’s too much noise on social media particularly Twitter. Twitter is a place where people dealing with mental illness or disorder uses to express themselves. It’s in our nature to give out advice whether that advice is wanted or not. We live in a time where its custom to share our every aspect of our lives. For someone who is dealing with mental illness or disorder our thought process isn’t always easily articulated in a way for those who don’t understand the difference between a person with mental illness is venting, ranting or crying out for help. In which case the intent is often lost.
Hello Chum: I am a manic depressive. I refer to my disorder as my “Chum” because it’s a causal way of disarming people from judging. Usually when people see my Chum reference they offer up their experiences with dealing with mental disorder. When in the midst of a full-on breakdown that last thing, I want is advice on how to manage my episodes. The gesture of prayers are good, powerful but can be reckless. The reality is not all people share the same religious background. When offering up or expression such thoughtfulness, make sure the person is ready to receive. Sharing such thoughtfulness to someone who isn’t religious or share the same views can also be another trigger. Prayers isn’t a cure to mental illness or disorder.
Avenues For Derailing: There’s a few avenues I turn to when trying to derail my manic episode. Writing and Music. For some social media is their outlet. Don’t look at it as a cry for help. Before you comment, know the signs. Know the difference between venting, ranting and a cry for help. Expressing frustration is one way to help heal and cope with mental illness or disorder. When someone who has mental illness reach out via social media the best thing is to LISTEN. Don’t jump to conclusions and start calling the local police to do a wellness check. Don’t offer any words of encourage unless the person is willing to receive OR you have a personal relationship in which case giving advice, words of encouragement or even taking the necessary steps to help derail a manic episode is appreciated. Most people aren’t religious so offering up prayers or should I say referencing prayers will cure all isn’t very helpful. That kind of engaging can be dangerous. Just go with the notion, that if you don’t understand what a person is saying don’t response or don’t engage. 
