Present and accounted for

I'm still here. My Mac is in the shop so I am computerless. The routine is the same, endless doctor visits. I'm home now, reunited with my beloved cat.

I still cannot walk unless I have a walker. I can barely move. I will be moving to another apartment I cannot handle the steps in my walk up. I hate moving, but I am happy about this move in March. If I stay in my old apartment, I will be totally housebound. The new apartment is more rent, but it's on the ground floor with no stairs.

The cat and I both sleep 18 hours a day. It's fine for her, cats do thus. It's not good for humans. My eyes still cannot handle reading for more than 10 or 15 minutes a day. My kidneys cannot handle any psych meds but they cannot have anything for the headaches I have been experiencing daily, and are turning into migraines.

The important thing is I am still here this blog isn't dead. I look forward to write full time shortly.

Calling Dr. Katz

Why is it so much fun to satirize psychiatrists? Because by nature, they are easy to satirize. And as the best satirists of all time can tell you there is a grain of truth in what you satirize or it wouldn't be funny.

Some of the lovable Viennese Head Thumpers have been Dr. Katz, Bob Newhart, and a wonderful sketch by Fry and Laurie. And now I would like to add another one to the pantheon. The video below is by my friend Kimbriel. Regular readers on the blogosphere might be familiar  with Kimbriel, she is a frequent commenter on Furious Seasons, Pharmalot, Beyond Meds, and Before You Take That Pill among other blogs. It's a little long, but worth a view, no matter if you are pro psychiatry or anti psychiatry.

Recovery stories to give us hope.

Recovery is possible, and something to try to achieve in this New Year. I want to thank Gianna Kali for this wonderful article. She lists some amazing people in it that are doing well on their road to recovery, and are inspiring. Thanks Gianna, for putting together this list!

Recovery Stories:

New stories are now added at the top of  list so if you visit again they’ll be easy to find

• NEW Psychosis, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Story as a Vehicle of Healing
• Pray, cry, scream, kick, write, whatever it takes, do not be silent, let it out.Benzodiazepine withdrawal recovery story
• Remember my friend Amy who was close to death? She is now thriving
• Jazz in Pieces Medication Madness — Epilogue and update: BIPOLAR off meds success NEW — the epilogue, that is (Jazz is UNDIAGNOSED by the MD)
• The beginning of emergence for Susan, finding faith and hope…she was not permanently broken
• Withdrawal from antidepressant leads to spiral into polydrugging, until Molly realizes that drugs are the problem and emerges victorious
• The Power Behind my Bipolar Part 1 and Part 2
• A recovery from benzos–into severe benzo illness and out

• The following is by a blogger called BipolarLife. He is currently happy and med free.
• Hope, Time and Love; three guardian angels, Alternative Routes to Recovery
• Ted Chabasinski’s story of survival

• Caty’s Story–a recovery story through peer support and the Freedom Center
  
• Decolonizing our minds: Freeing our spirits  — Guest Blogger Leah Harris
  
• Kim’s Story of Recovery —A journey of nutritional healing
• Cindy’s Story of Recovery —A journey of healing through food and Chinese Medicine
• Recovery through mind training —a journey of meditation in Buddhism—By Sally Clay
• Jim Gottstein’s recovery story —The story of a successful human rights attorney
• Another Cindy’s Story of Recovery (Long term benzo addiction which led to other drugs) Journey of nutrition, holistic care and energy work
• Jim S Story of Recovery
• Will Hall’s Story of Recovery
• “undiagnosed’s” Story of Recovery—more stories by the same author here.
• Shelby’s story of recovery
• Mania as Spiritual Emergency
• Sean’s youtube odyssey of recovery from a spiritual emergency
• To hell and back–Thor Nystrom’s story of psych drugs treatment as a teenager
• A moving story of recovery by an anonymous blogger—Medicated while still a teen due to tragic circumstances and liberated as a young adult
• Jayme’s recovery story—This story was written several years ago. Jayme is now the director of a Wellness Center in Georgia and works well beyond full-time. She is thriving more than most people would possibly imagine given her history. The moral of the story is history and what the docs tell us do not determine our future.
• A method of recovery discovered by Jayme
• The Wind Never Lies—  Steve Morgan’s Recovery Story
• A Catalog of Recovery Stories
• MORE RECOVERY STORIES HERE-specific to extreme states such as psychosis