Mental Illness Archives - KARTAR DIAMOND

A Mother Is Only As Happy As Her Saddest Child by Kartar Diamond

The notion that “a mother is only as happy as her saddest child” is a saying that some have heard, and surprisingly some have grossly misinterpreted. I do have a friend who I don’t speak to often, but when we do, she always asks me how my son is doing. She then often repeats this famous quote to me. What does it actually mean? And is it really universally true? From my understanding, this saying about a mother only being as happy as [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2023-05-23T21:23:12+00:00May 23, 2023|Family, Mental Illness|0 Comments

Paranoia by Kartar Diamond

What is paranoia and what causes it? According to one dictionary definition, paranoia is: “A mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy, or exaggerated self-importance, typically elaborated into an organized system. It may be an aspect of chronic personality disorder, of drug abuse, or of a serious condition such as schizophrenia in which the person loses touch with reality.” We may wonder why a person would feel persecuted or suspicious that others mean them harm. But haven’t we all had fleeting [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2023-04-11T22:11:39+00:00April 11, 2023|Mental Illness, Treatment|0 Comments

Taking Care of the Seriously Mentally Ill Should Be Like Good Parenting by Kartar Diamond

How would you feel about someone who allowed their child to live out doors just because they wanted to? Would you respect a parent who allowed their child to eat out of a dumpster, take harmful drugs or wander around in a drunken stupor? Would you feel comfortable knowing your neighbor’s violent teenager is allowed to cause property damage and make threats to hurt people? Of course not! You would know that the parents needed to buck up, set boundaries and consequences, and [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2023-04-09T23:07:42+00:00April 9, 2023|Advocacy, Mental Illness, Policy|0 Comments

From Gifted to I.E.P. by Kartar Diamond

It may be a cliché, that people with schizophrenia are more intelligent than the average person, sometimes far more intelligent, even genius level. As well, they may be artistic and creative in objective ways. And yet, when the inflammation of the brain and the disease takes hold, sometimes the person with schizophrenia can be erroneously identified as developmentally disabled. That happened one time to my son in a hospital admission. The normal functioning of cognitive skills can be damaged like a stroke victim, [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2023-03-22T02:04:30+00:00March 22, 2023|Mental Illness, Treatment|0 Comments

Is O.C.D. A Mental Illness? by Kartar Diamond

As with many mental illnesses, there is a range in severity and there can easily be overlapping conditions to complicate the matter. Often just abbreviated as “O.C.D.,” Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can plague people who are otherwise extremely successful in their careers and who can also be very happy and satisfied in their personal lives. Howard Stern and Howie Mandel, two famous germaphobes come to mind, both of whom have publicly discussed their O.C.D. diagnosis. You will get differing opinions about whether O.C.D. is [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2023-02-23T00:19:40+00:00February 23, 2023|Mental Illness|0 Comments

Government Sponsored Mental Health Services: FSP and AOT by Kartar Diamond

Across the United States, there are various support programs, for people with mental illness. The key of course, is getting the mentally ill person motivated and accepting of those services. With some of the most serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, lack of insight may undermine a person’s ability to make good decisions or even recognize they have an illness and need support and redirection. As well, some folks know they have an illness and may even admit on a good day that [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2022-11-12T17:30:44+00:00November 12, 2022|Mental Illness, Treatment|0 Comments

When Your Parent is Mentally Ill by Kartar Diamond

Much has been written about struggling parents when they have a child or an adult son or daughter who is mentally ill. But what about the reversal, when it is the mother or father who has a brain illness? As a once active member of a local NAMI Family Support group, the vast majority of attendees were mothers, concerned about their offspring, and the occasional father in attendance. Less often, a young adult would show up for the meeting, stressed and overwhelmed with [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2022-07-28T15:51:39+00:00July 28, 2022|Advocacy, Family, Mental Illness|0 Comments

What is Anosognosia? by Kartar Diamond

Anosognosia. The word itself is a mouthful. A-no-sog-no-sia. This is a medical term which has had another meaning entirely, but it has been adopted by the mental health world to describe the state of a person with mental illness who has no insight into their illness. This is a very important distinction to be made because a mentally ill person could be accused of being in denial about their illness. When a person is in denial, they may consciously know they have [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2022-07-13T15:30:20+00:00July 13, 2022|Advocacy, Mental Illness, Treatment|0 Comments

A Hospital Run By the Patients, Entry #1 by Kartar Diamond

I’m sure I will periodically post excerpts from my memoir, Noah’s Schizophrenia, but the incident I’m about to recount wasn’t included in the book. It just surfaced from the memory banks as I lay awake in bed this morning. It’s a worthy illustration of what kind of behavior falls under the category, “a hospital run by the patients.” Unfortunately, I have many of these stories, alarming behavior by mental healthcare providers, which no one ever seems to be held accountable for. Back in [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2021-12-26T23:08:02+00:00December 26, 2021|Advocacy, Mental Illness, Treatment|0 Comments

Mental Illness and I.E.P. Programs by Kartar Diamond

I.E.P. stands for Individual Educational Program. Since a child who is a U.S. citizen is entitled to an education, the I.E.P. programs exist for those children who cannot effectively participate in a regular public school setting. These programs cater to any number of developmental or behavioral disabilities in minors., which inhibit their ability to learn with other students in a regular school environment. Additionally, when it is determined that a child cannot receive an adequate education while living at home, some I.E.P. programs [...]

By Kartar Diamond|2021-09-07T21:50:01+00:00September 7, 2021|Advocacy, Mental Illness, Treatment|0 Comments