I'm a little late to the party but I am finally indulging in the US version of Shameless. Now despite my immense sadness that Jeffrey Dean Morgan was only around for one episode, I am loving this show. It kind of reminds me of my life, without the ghetto/South side part. The scrambling to make ends meet, the continual school lunches, getting kids to actually go to school, navigating everyone's mental health and needs. The moments of losing the plot, overwhelm and chaos and as a parent, surrendering a lot of what makes you tick to keep your family moving forward and of course the bipolar. William H Macy is brilliant as the alcoholic, narcissistic, manipulative, scumbag dad. The whole cast is superb, not a weak link in sight. The multi generational portrayal of bipolar disorder is heartbreaking. Monica, the absent matriarch of the Gallagher family suffers from Bipolar 1 and it is passed on to her son Ian. Her bipolar is devastating for herself and for her whole family, her choice to live without medication, (a choice easy to make when you are feeling good) leaves her vulnerable to the highest of highs and the most tragic of lows. The writers of the show choose for her to survive, so far (I am only in season 5 of 11) But this is not always the case, hence why medication is often literally life saving. Now that Ian is displaying signs of also having bipolar, such as not sleeping, hypersexuality, rapid speech, grand ideas, impulsivity and high energy contrasted by manic depression, sleeping for days, and being unable to function at all in the world and his life, we see the same battle, his resistance to getting help and taking medication. This stigma around seeking help and being medicated is very real, this is why we need to fight to remove the stigma around mental health diagnosis. It is not weak to get help, in fact it takes big ovaries to face your diagnosis. I didn't for over a decade, I mean who wants to be seen as broken? Who wants people to avoid them because of how their brain works? I don't believe these things to be true, but some do. I have chatted to men who have told me their ex was crazy, now this is a common red flag I hear when someone is trying to diminish their part in a relationship break down. When I call them on it, they say something like, 'No she was REALLY crazy, she had *insert diagnosis*' It's bollocks. My diagnosis is my superpower, it helps me to stop and take the time to take care of myself, it fuels my creative work and gives me a passion to breakdown these ignorant walls surrounding mental health. It also filters out the folk who prefer not to learn and understand mental health issues. I have some amazing people in my life who get it, surround yourself with people who get you, and people who are willing to learn. It isn't always easy, far from it. But we make the best of the hand we are dealt right? or some cliche similar to that. Now I'm going to make a cup of tea and watch the next episode, Ian has just kidnapped a baby, the drama! I'm here for it. Have a good day folks, oh and take your meds.
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Did you miss me? Huh? You didn't notice I was gone. Never mind, here I am. Back, refreshed, newly medicated and ready to dive in. A lot has happened in the years since I was last here, (No shit Sherlock - you think you're the only one with stuff?) Seriously though, how have you all been? I have been busy starting my son off in high school, juggling all the appointments and business that comes with having a neuro-diverse kiddo and supporting my daughter she she enters her final year in primary school. I restarted my garden for the nine hundredth time, got a new deck built so I can sit with my tea admiring the veggies growing ferociously, while dodging the branches the cockatoos hurl at me from the tree above. I have been in the studio recording several new music projects, all of which excites the fuck out of me. Can't wait to send that shit out into the world. What else? I got a new psychiatrist. Now that is exciting. New psych, new diagnosis, new meds, new me. Bloody Brilliant. And lots of writing, always lots of writing. Oh and I turned 50! Not even sure how I got here so quickly. Today is a miserable day here, even though it's summer, it is foggy, rainy and shit but I love it like this. The world quietens down for me on days like this, there is less business. Although I do have to go get some food, unless my son wants cat biscuits in his lunch tomorrow. My daughter is on camp, her first big camp. She is off snorkelling, bloody proud of her, she's an anxious kid so it was a big step going to camp. I'm hoping 2023 is a good year for us all, it's already the end of February, time keeps moving too fast for me. I'm hoping I have another 30/40 years to get all the shit done I want to do. I better get moving. Let me know what you're up to? Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for being here, I'll be around a lot more now. Elizabeth By the way, I want to get Quails, anyone have Quails? any tips? |
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