Acceptance Archives

In My Own Voice
In My Own Voice

Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Hypomania, Mania, Medication, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Illness, NAMI, Psychosocial Education, Recovery, Stigma

In My Own Voice

The weekend after I attended BlogHer16, my local NAMI Orange County office hosted an In Our Own Voice (IOOV) training. In Our Own Voice (IOOV) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqXC7zuASBA Hi, I’m Kitt O’Malley Mother of a teen [...]

Kitt O'Malley2019-08-31T17:13:51+00:00September 5th, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Hypomania, Mania, Medication, Mental Health, Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Illness, NAMI, Psychosocial Education, Recovery, Stigma|Tags: In Our Own Voice, IOOV, National Alliance on Mental Illness|58 Comments

Fingers Moving, Fingers Typing
Fingers Moving, Fingers Typing

Acceptance, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Hypomania, Poetry, Self care

Fingers Moving, Fingers Typing

Fingers need to move nervous energy prompts them to keep busy Just as my thoughts my mind will not be silent My fingers will not be still so I play Solitaire or now [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-09-03T23:33:26+00:00September 3rd, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Hypomania, Poetry, Self care|Tags: creativity, goals, nervous energy, rapid thoughts, self-soothing|12 Comments

Folie à Deux
Folie à Deux

Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Compassion, Family, Mental Illness, Poetry, Psychotic Thought Process

Folie à Deux

I Am My Mother Caveat: Please understand that delusional thought processes are SYMPTOMS of mental illness. I feel compassion, even as I feel pain and anger as someone negatively affected by parental delusional [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-08-10T12:15:32+00:00August 10th, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Compassion, Family, Mental Illness, Poetry, Psychotic Thought Process|Tags: delusion, delusional thought process, enmeshed family dynamics, enmeshment, folie a deux, poor boundaries|43 Comments

Siren Song

I have heard the siren song of alcohol and marijuana. Craved the quieting of my thoughts, the slowing down. Prescribed medications do help immensely, but I still understand and am wary of alcohol&#… [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-07-05T19:32:13+00:00July 5th, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Alcoholism, Bipolar Disorder, Dual Diagnosis, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Substance Abuse|18 Comments

Writing on a Plane
Writing on a Plane

Acceptance, Caregiving, Dementia, Family, Marriage, Mental Health, Migraine, Motherhood, Parenting, Poetry, Writing

Writing on a Plane

Travel Journal from Las Vegas to Portland On my way, our way, to Oregon to visit family. Tonight driving out to the coast to stay at the Adobe. Tomorrow Jennifer is visiting from [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-07-02T19:26:15+00:00July 2nd, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Caregiving, Dementia, Family, Marriage, Mental Health, Migraine, Motherhood, Parenting, Poetry, Writing|Tags: Free-writing, Southwest Airlines, Travel|17 Comments

Kitt's Invented Platitudes
Kitt's Invented Platitudes

Acceptance, Mindfulness, Writing

Kitt's Invented Platitudes

Rarasaur’s Platitudes “But then… people learn.” “Everything’s gonna be okay. (Except when it’s not.) ((Except that’s okay, too.))” I think it is human nature to ascribe or find meaning to events in our [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-05-28T13:52:56+00:00May 28th, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Mindfulness, Writing|Tags: alone, connected, dialectic, dialectical, love, Meaning, not alone, platitudes, purpose, Rarasaur|19 Comments

Heavy Heart
Heavy Heart

Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Grief, Mental Health, Migraine

Heavy Heart

Now that I filed taxes and got my parents settled in to their memory care community, I'm able to take a breathe and feel the weight of caregiving on me, on my now [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-04-21T15:32:21+00:00April 21st, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Bipolar Disorder, Caregiving, Dementia, Depression, Grief, Mental Health, Migraine|Tags: exhaustion, fatigue|35 Comments

Day from Hell

Recently my mother slammed the door on her speech therapist. She refused nursing care for herself and blocked nurses from seeing my father. Her behavior has caused both of them to be discharged [...]

Kitt O'Malley2016-02-16T15:08:32+00:00February 16th, 2016|Categories: Acceptance, Caregiving, Dementia, Family, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Self care, Stress|Tags: letting go, Sandwich Generation, senior care|51 Comments

Guilt Rears Its Head

Even with caregiver help, it's been tough. Friday one of my mother's occupational therapists told me she had asked nursing staff if my mother had been receiving any visitors. After being "on" since [...]

Kitt O'Malley2015-12-12T11:01:10+00:00December 12th, 2015|Categories: Acceptance, Caregiving, Family, Stroke|Tags: aging parents, guilt, Sandwich Generation, stroke rehab, stroke rehabilitation|42 Comments

Thank You, Caregivers

Thank you to all the caregivers who have helped with my parents recently. Grateful for the excellent care my mom has received. Thank you: Jane Pamphile of Next Step Senior Care first started working [...]

Kitt O'Malley2015-12-10T16:10:44+00:00December 10th, 2015|Categories: Acceptance, Caregiving, Dementia, Disability, Family, Gratitude, Parenting, Self care|Tags: eldercare, support|3 Comments