When mental illness bears down, respite centres can uplift
As a person with the mental illness disability of schizoaffective disorder, I am quite familiar with the inpatient mental hospital experience. I have frequently devolved into crisis and found myself in the Emergency Room. Being in a day programme provided me with...
I was a child caring for a mum with schizophrenia
I’ve been a carer since I was 12 years old. At the time I didn’t realise that was my role, because to me I was just looking after someone I cared about. I did it without being asked. As a child, my role as a carer wasn’t actually looking after my mum. It was more...
Tiffany Haddish on the first thing she did when she got rich
The first thing she did when she made it big was to help her family, as many newly rich celebrities do. But her gesture has a poignant backstory. Haddish’s first big financial move was to get her mom out of a mental institution, she told GQ. When Haddish was 8, her...
Writing through pain: A cancer survivor guides patients with pen and paper
Would you be interested in participating in a writing group on The Caregiver Space? We’ve had The Page Listens since the beginning, but we’d like to organize a group that discusses the process together. In 2013, Lynn Scozzari was staring at a photo of a...
For Caregivers Everywhere
I have bipolar disorder. My husband is my caregiver. He didn’t sign up for this gig when we met, except for later vowing the part about “in sickness and in health” when we married. I could not negotiate life without him. Some of you are unpaid caregivers who help...
How to Address Mental Health Issues in the Family with Your Child
Mental health issues can strike at anytime, without warning and with little regard for your responsibilities. I knew my husband suffered from panic disorder when I married him. However, it wasn’t until a particularly stressful period at work that it became...
Single Mom’s Search For Therapist Foiled By Insurance Companies
A 12-year-old boy named Strazh hangs from the monkey bars, staring at the ground. The other kids in the park aren’t interested in him. And he’s not interested in them. “I just like to play by myself,” he says. Strazh has autism. Today is a good day. But on most...
The dual lives of caregivers
As the general American population continues to age, more and more people are stepping into the role of caregivers. The Employment Panel of Caregivers projects that the number of seniors requiring care will double by the year 2031. This means additional resources need...
The changing nature of relationships in caregiving
Being a caregiver for my mother, brother, and boyfriend has given me a unique perspective on the shifting nature of relationships and partnerships. Here’s what I learned…
The Mental Health of Caregivers and Care Patients: Introducing Amy Atkins
Sometimes these interludes are the greatest gifts I can offer a family who’s struggling.
50 Shades of Caregiving
Colorful is not the way one would typically describe the life of a caregiver but once my father-in-law came to live with us my days began to revolve around the colors of his life.
The Chronic Pain Zine: When Language Runs Dry
While on vacation in Seattle, my friends brought me to Left Bank Books to browse the unique selection of literature. Having always had the dream to start my own, the first stop for me was the zine section. I happened upon the third issue of the zine, When Language...Top Posts
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