Tag: Mental Health
-
Stepping outside my comfort zone.
I had the honor and privilege to be invited to the 2025 NADSP conference, Elevate, in Buffalo, NY. I had never been to the East coast before this trip. I got to be in Canadian waters and see Niagara falls! Presenting was amazing and I made amazing connections. One of the best experiences I have had to date, and I got to experience with my partner in crime and best friend, my hubby. Niagara Falls is breathtaking and the pictures don’t do it justice. Here are some pictures from our trip.
-
Make America Love Again
When injustice becomes more important than love for our fellow humans, we have lost our humanity. That humanity is what makes us critical thinkers and creators. We have to get back to this somehow.
All we can do is go through life with love. I am going to practice this daily, with a spoonful of gratitude. I will continue to fight injustice. Always remember “when I justice becomes law, resistance becomes duty”.
-
Training Opportunity!
Join me on Tuesday 08/05 to learn about Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Resilience.
Flipping the Switch: Compassion Fatigue to Compassion Satisfaction
$45
August 5 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Instructor(s): Lindsay Dutton
Many of us go into the human services field because we have an immense passion for helping others and serving our communities. However, we aren’t always aware of how supporting others can take a toll on our own well-being. This training will introduce the concepts of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, but most importantly we will discuss compassion satisfaction and resilience. Together we will gain an understanding of how to nurture our own well-being and protect ourselves, while also providing great support to those we serve.
Participants will gain an understanding of:
- What compassion fatigue is, the contributing factors, as well as the signs and symptoms.
- The differences and similarities between compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout.
- Compassion satisfaction, resilience, and the connection with our well-being.
- How to create a simple support plan for themselves to use at work and/or home to help serve as a reminder to make space for their own well-being.
-
A Conversation with Grief part 5
Moving on WITH you not without you
When my mom passed away, I was given a chakra deck from a good friend. The number 8 has started to be significant since my mom passed away. She passed away 8 days before my 39th birthday in 2024. In 2002, my dad passed 8 days after my 17th birthday. My husband just a few days ago connected that our cat, Jameson, who meant the world to us, passed away 8 days before our anniversary, in 2024. Now, as if that wasn’t strange enough- my husband was born in 1988. That is a lot of 8’s to just be a coincidence.
I am not religious but I consider myself spiritual, but I lean more pagan. I have a naturally rebellious nature and can’t subscribe to one way of thinking. I have done some research about the number 8 within different spiritual/religious traditions. My mom identified as Christian, so even though I don’t share that belief- I am fascinated by the biblical perspective. Here is what I found:
- Abundance and Success:
The number 8 is widely recognized as a symbol of wealth, success, and material prosperity. - Strength and Power:
It can also represent inner strength, determination, and the ability to achieve goals, sometimes linked to feminine energy. - Balance and Harmony:
The symmetrical shape of the number 8 also symbolizes balance, both in its physical form and in the cyclical nature of life, suggesting renewal and equilibrium. - Infinity and Infinite Possibilities:
The continuous loop of the number 8 connects it to the concept of infinity, suggesting endless opportunities and potential for growth. - Spiritual Significance:
In various spiritual contexts, 8 represents new beginnings, spiritual regeneration, and a departure from the natural world into the supernatural, according to Torah Mitzion and Chabad.org. - In Judaism:
The number 8 is associated with new beginnings, redemption, and the Kingdom of God, according to LoveIsrael. - In Chinese Numerology:
8 is a highly auspicious number, symbolizing wealth and good fortune. - In the Bible:
It often represents new beginnings, resurrection, and a fresh start. - Seeing the number 8, especially repeatedly, is often interpreted as a positive sign, urging individuals to embrace their potential, work towards their goals, and trust in the abundance of the universe, says TODAY.com.
My mom was one of the most caring people that walked this earth and she would spread love everywhere she went and to anyone and everyone. She never let her struggles stop her from spreading joy to others. My mom lived with Bi-polar Type 1 with psychosis. She took good care of herself but she was often over medicated during my childhood. She had to sleep a lot to balance her mental health and life responsibilities. We watched a lot of movies together and I have fond memories of making her watch Star Wars a million times, Neverending Story, Lord of the Rings, E.T., and other great 80’s and 90’s sci-fi and fantasy movies. She would take me to the video store every weekend and let me just go crazy and rent a ton of movies and video games.
Anyway, my mom was the best human and anyone that met her would agree with that. Despite her many struggles, despite being treated less than, despite being over medicated, despite getting Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, and then even upon developing dementia- she was always there one way or another. There were times when she was a zombie and I thought I had lost her forever, but she would get a little better. It was a cycle until the final months of her life. The dementia got really bad and I knew she wasn’t coming back this time. This triggered a hypomanic episode and the worst one that I have had to date. My brain finally accepted that she was gone for good this time. She died about 5 months later.
I have been processing so much anger about the way she was treated. She was neglected so many times it makes me nauseous. My mom sent me a message that it isn’t my fight. Apparently she died in her sleep and just one last final breath. Getting to the after life was like a birthday party and finally going home to be with our ancestors. I won’t go into how I know this at this time because that isn’t the story that I am meant to tell right now.
My mom is telling me that it is time to move on with her and that she will always be with me no matter what. I do believe that I will see her and my other ancestors again someday but I have a lot of work to do here first. My mom taught me all of the most important lessons that humans need to learn in life and that has always given me an edge. My mom taught me empathy. My mom taught me kindness. My mom taught me forgiveness. She taught me to be the best human that I could and she taught me that I could do and be anything.
Mom, I would never have become who I am today without you. I am so sorry that life wasn’t better to you but sometimes our perception is skewed. You said you had a happy life and I heard the message. I wish I would have seen it more when you were here but it gives me peace now when I need it most. I will never stop missing you and I know you want me to move on with you and not without you. I love you to the moon and back.
- Abundance and Success:
-
Unpacking Trauma
Unpacking trauma and unpacking a late life autism diagnosis are both like learning about your life, even though you lived it. -Lindsay Dutton
-
Join us July 16th & 17th- Mental Health First Aid
Register Here or use barcode above- https://thearcoregon.org/event/mental-health-first-aid-adult-2/
-
My Autism Journey
My husband and I have made so many mistakes and so many great choices together. Just like any good relationship that is human, right? Since my Mom passed away, I have been very reflective and nostalgic. All the feels.
I am now 40-years-old and I have purchased and sold a house. Not uncommon at my age, however, for my generation it hasn’t been a very easy thing to accomplish. Numbers and Facts. I have worked VERY hard for everything I have. I was a bit spoiled as a child being either the youngest or only child at times. It’s complicated.
I definitely have trauma from my childhood, most people have at least 1 ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences). My score is about a 4 or 5 out of 9. Luckier than some, unluckier than many. I also grew up with a tremendous amount of privilege being white and I am not at all afraid to admit and acknowledge that.
I am so proud of who I am at 40. I have been a crappy human many times in my life especially when I was just a young and bright eyed young adult. I didn’t make time always for the people I should have and made stupid decisions like many of us. I self-medicated because I didn’t want to feel all the feels while dealing with everything my Mom went through. I wasn’t ready to unpack my trauma and process. I definitely wasn’t ready to acknowledge that I was living with a severe Mental “illness”. I hid it as best I could because I saw how my Mom was treated by so many- especially those that claimed to be family. Disgusting.
I also had no idea I was AuDHD and that term didn’t exist. That means I am both Autistic and I have AdHD. Terms and diagnoses serve a purpose but really I am just very very very Neurodivergent. That means my brain diverges from what is considered “normal”. DUH. It seems so obvious now. I had sensory issues I didn’t understand and did some “weird” behaviors. NO idea if they were noticed and ignored or just not noticed.
The most interesting thing is that family have told me that I was like a motor you couldn’t turn off. My Mom kept me VERY busy with sports and activities, so awesome job Mom. I played instruments and picked it up easily. I could play any sport I tried pretty much but was awesome at Basketball and Softball/Baseball. I did well in school- often testing at high school or college level in grade school apparently from what I was told by my Mom. I was always moving and had a hard time sitting still which is more common with boys with AdHD. Then there are the symptoms that are not noticed in girls usually. When people describe me as a child I sound like a boy with AdHD via stigma. What the?!?
The reason (one of) why Autism diagnoses have increased so much is because there used to be 2 separate categories. There was those with Asperger’s and those with ASD (Autism Spectrum “Disorder”). Asperger’s was used to describe those people that were highly intelligent but also struggled with social situations like those with ASD. Then after more research they discovered just how much of a spectrum ASD belongs on.
Now we just call any experience of Autism above a certain score on the very long test- ASD. So, combining said diagnoses practically doubled the prevalence. Also, because of research via Neuroscience and other sciences, we now understand ASD even better. We have learned that Women experience Autism a bit differently and internalize and mask due to stereotypes and stigma of how a girl “should” act.
Anyway, just wanted to share a bit about my Autism journey and some of the science behind ASD.
-
#Advocacy, #NoKings, #NoMasters
I was getting ready for the day and this idea for a graphic came to me. What do you think? I might use this in a cultural awareness and disability training I am currently creating. This shows my journey over the last decade! I love the person I have become. THIS is what my Mom and my Grammy and people with disabilities and mental health struggle just like ME, taught me. We won’t ever be silenced again! Trump, we are coming for you, ***hole.
