Yesterday I caught myself talking nasty to my body again. It’s a bad habit. If I was my body I would sue me for verbal abuse. We have had a love/hate relationship for years. I criticize it for being old, wrinkled, lazy, slow, and fat.
But yesterday my body talked back to me in the mirror. My body said “Hey just wait a minute. Is that any way to talk to me? I’m the birthday suit God gave you more than 68 years ago! I’m the one that let you to play in the sand when you were 4, to be a cheerleader when you were 16, to dance, to be a Mother three times, to travel around the world, to ride horses. You’ve forgotten all the good stuff we did together. Just because I’m not young anymoredoesn’t mean you should be disrespectful!”

So I’m learning it’s never too late to show gratitude and appreciation to my body. My carrying case, my body is the faithful friend who has put up with all my bad habits for a long time. I think it’s time we started to enjoy being together!

Have you ever thought about how lucky we are to be growing older at this time in history?
Of course we all know that we live in a culture that glorifies youth and beauty but let’s not forget that we still have a lot going for us!

Imagine this! We are the pioneers in a longevity revolution!
A hundred years ago, most folks never expected to live beyond the age of 50.
Nowadays we can expect to live on an average of 74-78 years of age.
And all the advances of modern medicine make it easier for us to enjoy a high quality life as we get older. Especially if we have good genes and even if we haven’t been willing to exercise and eat a healthy diet.
I’ve found that in spite of a chronic mental illness and several surgeries, the best way to enjoy these “golden years” is to have a sense of humor!
As I get older and my friends get older, the more I try to scout around for funny birthday cards.
Here’s my favorite: On the cover of the card are two of those huge ferocious dinosaurs standing up on their hind legs. These are the tyrannosaurus variety with the big teeth and long claws. The caption reads ‘Hi There, Remember us?’
And on the inside of the card in little blue letters it says: “We sat behind you in home room.”

So you can see, no matter how many birthdays we have, it’s never too late to have a good laugh!!!!

Jacqueline Castine, B.A., is a Community Education Specialist at the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority. She is the author of I Wish I Could Fix It, But … (Phoenix Publishers, 2005). She can be reached at castinej@occmha.org

The beginning of summer was busy this year! Staff in-services, two sessions each, were done for Green Path Debt Counselors and Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. The staff at Green Path was very grateful for the information received, and many felt that the program is an important one that should be shared by others. At MORC the staff normally works with people with physical challenges, but they do have customers who are dealing with some physical and mental challenges. MORC’s staff also gave us positive feedback for the program that was presented to them. At the end of the day the team was on the road to Lansing, MI where we had the privilege of speaking to African American men and their loved ones about the importance of early intervention as it relates to mental health and substance use issues. Another critical piece covered was the importance of becoming proactive about health care issues, whether they’re physical or mental in origin, and to take more personal responsibility to get help when needed.

The issue of healthcare is very much in the forefront of everyone’s mind due to the big push in Washington DC to reform our healthcare system. Locally, to help address health care needs for the uninsured, non-profit organizations are sponsoring health fairs that are open to the general public. The Anti-Stigma Program was pleased to assist the Yorkshire Woods Community Organization of Detroit, MI by distributing resource materials on various mental health topics at their Health Summit, ”Living Above the Influences”. For a first-time event, the Health Summit seemed to be well-planned and well-staffed. The team could easily see that they were eager to meet the health needs of all who came.

Last but not least Malkia Newman, a CNS Anti-Stigma Program member, participated in Hill Day 2009, an advocacy event sponsored by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare in Washington, DC. Advocates from all 50 states shared their views on mental health issues and substance use concerns with their representatives on Capitol Hill. This was done in an effort to stop some of the proposed cuts to mental health services, and to see to it that mental health issues and substance use concerns are included in any discussion on health care reform. The results seen by the Oakland County contingent was very encouraging. Many of this years’ attendees are already looking forward to participating in Hill Day again next year.

My boyfriend and I were watching a famous comedian on television one night. Most jokes were funny to me, until he began making comments about suicide. He mentioned that he doesn’t understand people who decide to take their own lives and that if they ultimately do, they should be more creative in their measures. He went on to say that, for example, someone who hangs themselves should do so with Christmas lights and put little gifts underneath to take the sting out of someone finding you.

Is this funny? Not to me!!! It is harsh, heartless, and made me think about the seriousness of suicide.

Based on the latest national statistics from 2006, over 33,000 people die by suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years in the United States. Is suicide a laughing matter? I think not. Instead of making jokes, we should be taking measures toward suicide prevention. We need to educate others about the prevalence of suicide in our country. We need to speak up about mental health issues and get the message across that it is okay to talk about these things and that it is okay to get help. So many times, the stigma surrounding mental health prevents people from getting the help that they need. They don’t want to be seen as weak or crazy, which are stigmatic myths that need to be dispelled.

Stigma is alive and well. As much as I was disturbed by the jokes I heard, I felt sad more than anything; sad that others were laughing and sad that many people probably are uncomfortable with the topic, but don’t know how to address it. The words we use and attitudes we have about this subject make an impact, whether we see that impact immediately or not. It impacts others who deal with challenges on a daily basis. It impacts people who are in so much despair that they feel no one understands.

Stigma and its effects are taken as far as we let them go. Do we choose to embrace others and live to make change with our attitudes and actions, or do we harm others by making jokes about serious situations? It is through our words, attitudes and actions that stigma lives and breathes. It is also through words, attitudes and actions that we can eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

In the last STOMP newsletter, Jackie C. wrote about the fact we can’t control what others think, do and feel. Jackie’s advice that “You have control over you” was right on target. I used to be angry with folks who work in the system who would look down on me, now I just feel sorry for them. Whenever one human being helps another, that person gets a deep down feeling of warmth and self esteem. However, those who treat our lives as just another number are missing out on the opportunity to feel better about his or herself. We are human beings with the same hopes and dreams as every one else and we can accomplish great things when we have the right support.

I grew up a very angry person, and literally fought my way through school. The day I realized I had to accept things I could not change was the day my life took another direction. I also knew I had to change what I could, and the first thing I had to change was how I responded to negativity. I understood that I was not my disease but a real person with capabilities and talents, and all I need is leaders who will help me develop and grow. As Jackie said “I have control over my life” and I am determined to seek out and work closely with those leaders who share our dream of recovery.