« SFJane: Part III, revised | Main | Somebody help this man! »
One of my enduring missions for this site is to acknowledge caregivers--both the heroic work they do in tending to a loved one with an illness, and the mental health difficulties they encounter in doing so. This article puts a finer point on it:
Risk of Depression is Higher for ALS Caregivers Than for ALS Patients, Says Study
[And give your caregiver a soda, for god's sake!]
Liz Spikol is senior contributing editor of Philadelphia Weekly. She writes the award-winning column The Trouble With Spikol, which began as a chronicle of her struggle with mental illness, and has since expanded into humorous musings on everything from graphic novels to how to use a mop. She also writes the paper's book review column, Lit Gloss. This blog -- named one of the Top 10 Bipolar Blogs of 2007 by PsychCentral -- is about mental illness policy, news, personal journeys and more.
Comments
My life has become a situation. It has evolved from caregiver to bipolar patient&caregiver combo. I have a lot I could say about this; but just had to leave a comment that probably has no point, but the soda caught my eye.
While waiting in a cafe' for my car repairs this past week, a waitress filled my glass with iced tea twice. When I attempted to pay her, she said it was "on the house" because of what "You are going through with your daughter." Then she hugged me.
I felt like I could have left a puddle of tears on the table. [well I did that earlier at a different restaurant].
The waitress had no idea I was on the verge of a complete and total bipolar meltdown.
The tea was good, so was the gesture, and the hug. Kinda restored hope that I'm not alone in this situation called my life.
Posted by: Stephany | April 9, 2007 04:05 PM