Blog Archives
Parenting and Mental Health: Janet Singer
Yet another amazing parent interview! Check it out!
Parenting and Mental Health: Janet Singer from www.ocdtalk.wordpress.com
Bad Habits
I won’t do it again!
I have been biting my nails/chewing the skin around my nails for as long as I can remember. I have most likely caused the occassional infection that has turned my finger (usually the middle lol) green, painful and puss-filled. I also currently have a “cut” on my thumb that was caused by skin biting that does hurt. I bite or chew mostly when I’m bored or when my hands 
have nothing to do. I seem to have this need to touch my face and have something in my mouth. I have never caused what I consider to be serious damage to my fingers but I’m sure others would disagree.
My sister sent me an article today that says nail biting and hair pulling could become forms of OCD. We are talking to the extent of having bald spots and causing fingers to bleed but since this is psychiatry I do not trust that they would just start classifying everyone who does either of these two behaviours (and others) as having OCD.
These ‘bad habits’ were originally impulsive control disorders known as trichotillomania (hair pulling) and dermatillomania (skin picking). Trichotillomania actually currently has it’s own category in the DSM IV.
I guess I’ll have to start being careful so I don’t end up with this diagnosis!
Mental Disorder Posters
I saw these last year but a friend posted them on my wall today and reminded me of them!
“Minimalissimo is an online editorial platform that celebrates minimalism. We touch many categories of minimalist design, including art, architecture, industrial & graphic design, fashion, and music.
Minimalissimo is edited by a small team of enthusiasts from around the world.” (From website, http://minimalissimo.com and poster link http://minimalissimo.com/2011/03/mental-disorder-posters/)
Here is a link to the original source: http://www.adaptcreative.co.uk/2010/08/mental-disorder-posters/
Mental Illness Isn’t Cute, or: Stop Calling Your Quirks OCD/Bipolar
This is an amazing blog post by Pop Goes Culture! One of my biggest pet peeves has been people using mental health diagnoses to describe the behaviour of non diagnosed people. Doing so is offensive to those with the disorders and greatly downplays the seriousness the disorders.
Mental Illness Isn’t Cute, or: Stop Calling Your Quirks OCD/Bipolar.
Just because you like things neat doesn’t mean you’re “OCD”.
Just because you can’t focus doesn’t mean you’re “ADD”.
Just because you’ve been really sad for a few days because you got dumped doesn’t mean you have “depression”.
Just because someone doesn’t like to hangout with people often doesn’t mean they’re “antisocial” (That is actually not even what the disorder is about).
Just because someone is one “personality” one second and another one in another second doesn’t mean they’re “Schizophrenic or Multiple Personality” (This one is the biggest mess because schizophrenia has nothing to do with personalities and multiple personalities is now called DID and has nothing to do with going from happy to sad in a few seconds)
Just because you get mad too doesn’t mean that you have “BPD”.
I could go on forever!!!! Read the blog!
