How Can I Improve this Site?

Long time in coming… below more emotionally substantive content are the results of the survey I took in mid-February. First of all, my first reaction to being asked to take a survey is a curt “No” then an abrupt disconnect. That said, I finally decided to figure out where and what the results were. Quite honestly, I’m not sure that I can give my readers what they want, nor that I want to anyway.

Actually, I’m not sure I can give anybody what they want or need right now. My brother-in-law is hanging on to life by a thread. Lung cancer has taken most of him. My husband LOVES his older brother. Thank God my husband visited him last week. He really needed to see his brother.

The House of Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

To top it off, today my son was supposed to do an oral presentation on “What Sally Said” – a vignette written by Sandra Cisneros in The House on Mango Street about horrendous physical child abuse. Unfortunately, my son identifies with Sally. He dreaded going to school and doing the assignment, especially because part of the assignment was to relate the chapter to your own life. Finally, this morning after I somehow got him to go to school in spite of his anxiety, I emailed his teacher and guidance counselor about my son’s anxiety, my mental illness, the fact that I have slapped my son (perhaps not “reportable” as abuse, but damaging all the same), our history of mental health treatment, and my son’s emotional sensitivity. My kid’s emotionally, if not physically, scarred. His teacher responded that he could do an alternative project rather than the classroom presentation and that if he did the presentation he would receive empathy from his classmates. Thank God for great teachers. Thank God, too, for his wonderful therapist who will see him this afternoon. I pray. Honestly, I cry, and then I pray.

The only thing that really matters is my family right now. As if I really care (and I do, somewhat)…

Survey Says...

What blog posts do you find the most helpful or most enjoyable?

  • I love it all….. (KO – Thank you.)
  • Your personal stories (KO – Thank you. Now I have to learn how to write stories. Time to brain storm and do writer crap (I mean exercises) like those circle things with lines all over the place.)
  • I really enjoyed your third person autobiographical creative writing. I’n not based in States but imagine your support contact info is very useful to those who are…I found the descriptions of bipolar disorder helpful ingaining better understanding of what this actually means and I enjoyed the spiritual side too (KO – Once again, time to become a writer, rather than a sharer.)
  • I like that this blog is written by an activist. I may not be too interested in the action? What is important is doing something about … whatever. (KO – There’s the rub. How to be an activist without calling people to action?… And why write in my own words what someone else has already written?… I’ll have to think about this. Again, I have multiple social media presences where I can share other content.)
  • Shortish posts that capture a feeling that I recognise. (KO – Well. Failed that request here. Longish post with multiple feelings and content topics. Oops.) 

What do you find least helpful or least enjoyable?

  • Nothing (KO – OK)
  • Re-blogs. Stuff from NAMI. Though the “call to action” notices like the one to save SSDI was important to me. (KO – Need to rethink what I share. What my purpose is. I do see myself as more of a disseminator of information than a writer. Perhaps I can use my other social media presences to share others’ information and refine how I use my blog. Perhaps I can actually write more.)
  • I’m not sure i found anything fitting that category (KO – OK)
  • Posts that are egocentric. Obviously we are writing about our lives, interests etc. I’m not saying those posts about I, Me, Mine. Exist here especially. We are all a bit guilty of that anyway. Just trying to answer the question. (KO – Very egocentric post here – sorry.)
  • Long unbroken chunks of text. (KO – Sorry for this post. At least I used bullet points, pictures, and color.)

 What content do you want to see?

  • Pretty pictures along with personal testimony, maybe some sense of humor. (KO – I think I wrote this one, which humors me, if not anyone else.)
  • Of course I want more original content! 😉 And anything to do with support groups…. (KO – maybe I should actually attend a support group sometime soon. Aside from group therapy, and Peer-to-Peer psychoeducation, I haven’t attended a support group in about a decade.)
  • I always get more out of folks’ personal struggles and Ah-Ha moments. I know they’re harder, scarier to write, but they mean more to me. (KO – Ah-Ha? My memory may be too fried to recall. Perhaps I’ll have some Ah-Ha moments in the near future. Who knows? I’ll try to be inspirational. Or, not.)
  • I really most enjoyed your creative writing and so would like to see more of that type of writing although the informational writing seems very high quality – or what about what bipolar isn’t (you’ve mentioned schizophrenia but there must be others) Keep up the good work, blog works well and looks nice, thank you 🙂  (KO – Since when have I been a creative writer? Time to learn how to be a creative writer. Maybe.)
  • More of the same. Good writing skills, interesting topics, unusual points of view. (KO – Thanks.)
  • I suppose content that sparks lots if questions in my head. (KO – I’ll have to think about that one.)

Comments

17 responses to “Survey Says…”

  1. I agree with most comments here – be strong and wishing you peace, Kitt. My thoughts with you and your family!

  2. Thank you, Diane.

  3. Kitt, Aside from the writing you do on your blog, the comments and support you give others is kind and encouraging… Those who are looking for help in areas of mental health can find it usually somewhere on your site….. Your personal life is so important too and sometimes .. you know I’ve already said this to you; but I think you need more ‘me’ time…. take care Diane

  4. Prayers that all went well for your son today! Family first always… as it should be.

  5. You crack me up…in a good way! 😉 XO

  6. Praying for you and the family. hugs Do what you can to stay healthy above all.

  7. I agree that family, and friends too, should come first. What matters is people. To not take such action may come back and bite you and the backside and then regret that you did nothing and that is much harder to live with than no having posted on our blogs.

  8. We don’t want to discuss my childhood and I survived. If that’s the worst our kids faced, they are lucky. No one gets a perfect draw.

  9. Yep. Well, maybe I’ll get a post or two out of it.

  10. Sorry about your son, but kids survive. Mine is thriving and I hit him on the butt once with a plastic hanger. Talk about guilt. Anyway, that poll! I’d be overwhelmed and need a couple of Klonopin for that. I would have no idea where to start. I don’t think I’ll be doing any polls soon.

  11. Always put your family and personal needs ahead of the blog. Besides – we are all hooked on your blog, so you know we will still be here when you are ready to write again.

  12. First of all I would like to say that I am sorry that you are going through some emotional times right now. I hope that things will calm down soon. I think you did a wonderful job with the survey.

  13. Hugs for it all – I wish there were magic words to say, but of course, there aren’t. Some empathy and company though.

    Hope your kid feels stronger soon.

    And I hope you’re being gentle with yourself, because you need it as much as your family does.

  14. Hey, no need to apologize for putting your family first. That’s what NEEDS to happen; your husband needs your love and support, as does your son. (I’m glad the teacher is letting him do an alternate assignment. Sometimes we identify too much with a particular book/character/plot line, and it’s a trigger for all kinds of negative emotions. Been there.)

    We’ll be here when you feel emotionally up to writing. Otherwise, take care of yourself and your precious family. Prayers for all of you!

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