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MENTAL ILLNESS IS KILLING OUR FUTURE! (1299 hits)

Hi Family,

It's a New Year and time to exhale from all the holiday whiz and festivities and take a serious look at improving our mental health and spirituality in the New Year!

I continue to thank all of my subscribers and the feedback I received about raising mental health awareness. My brothers and sisters, we CAN DO BETTER!! This is not a pitch for sales of my book, this is a plea to get our mental health in check, save our minds, and our future!

As we slush through the recession, the numbers are climbing for Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Suicide attempts, and more serious mental illnesses such as Bipolar and Schizophrenia. WE ARE KILLING our future by having too much pride to learn about mental illnesses and prevent it. We can do so much more to cope and manage a mental illness. We are failing US!

Now, I realize that we must economize our dollars wisely, but I urge you to invest in my book, "Coooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" (ISBN 13 978-0-9754612-0-4). You can purchase the book from either Amazon at www.amazon.com or Barnes & Noble Online at www.bn.com.

If you contact me directly at coolingwellwater@aol.com, "Coooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman," will be made available to you at a 50% discount while supplies last. It is more important to get the information flowing and the resources into your hands than anything else. Please take advantage of this offer!

""Coooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" has information to inspire and encourage you to cope and manage a successful life with a mental illness diagnosis. It is a step towards true deliverance with poetry that ministers and testimony revealing God's love for those with mental health issues.

In addition, this year I will be spending more time sharing information at Ariafya LLC with Dr. Gina Moore-Sanders and the cozy mental health family at www.ariafyallc.ning.com and I invite you all to join me there.

This New Year is the beginning of a new decade. We have made resolutions and promises to ourselves to improve. We are holding on with the economy and everybody is stressed. Mental health researches and studies and information is constantly changing including budget cuts for community supports and services. We deserve to know how to help ourselves and our families the best way we can no matter what!

The most important truth about mental illnesses is that we must educate ourselves and our children. THAT IS OUR FUTURE! Let's not let it die prematurely because we did not know something when the information is out there and available.

Did you know that the largest population of people receiving social security disability benefits are those who are diagnosed with a mental illness? These are people taken out of the work force due to a debilitating mental illness. This can lead to poverty! We each know at least one person who has a mental illness. EACH ONE of us could be that next person diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Mental illness affects 1 in 5 families including marriages. Approximately 35% of all people who pass through the criminal justice system have a mental illness including the juvenile justice system. College students are part of the largest group of persons with onset mental illness. This means that depression can begin to seriously affect a person by the time they attend college. If it is ignored, depression will lead to a more serious mental illness the longer it is not treated. There are NO cures for mental illnesses. This is not to scare you. It is to SAVE you and your loved ones. Today, I will be starting a discussion on what are mental illnesses at www.ariafyallc.ning.com.

Let's invest in our mental well-being in 2010. Please join me at Ariafya LLC and together we can prosper!!

Evangelist Agnes B. Levine ~ 1 Cor. 12:26 NIV
Founder/President, Levine-Oliver Publisher
Facebook me! E-mail me at coolingwellwater@aol.com
Author of: "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An
African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 13 978-0-9754612-0-4
Available NOW at Barnes & Noble at www.bn.com or www.Amazon.com

Posted By: agnes levine
Saturday, January 9th 2010 at 10:53AM
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Hello Ms. Agnes,

Ms. Agnes raising a concern for our mental health issues is fine and very good. However, what supersedes this is to raise the concept of Black Americans who are descendents of slaves to desire sovereignty or complete independence on a portion of this continent that we could call our very own country with borders.

You know as well as I do all these secondary issues as mental health care of us would evaporate, am I right.

For example, the Hebrew people had mental health care issues when Moses came back to them. God inspired Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt and the problems they had in Egypt they will have no more. Now, that what happened, am I right or did God lie?

Tell me what you think since you know the story of Moses perhaps better than I do.

Okay.

Saturday, January 9th 2010 at 11:23AM
Harry Watley

Hi Sister Agnes,
Happy New Year to you! I thank you for the blog, because it is true that many are very ill during these hard economic times and would rather commit suicide and homicide rather than seeking medical therapy to help them learn how to cope. Thanks for all you add to this site with your very informative blogs on metal illness.
Saturday, January 9th 2010 at 3:24PM
Jen Fad

Thank you, Sis. Jen.

It was/is so disheartening when I read the 2009 NAMI Grade Report on Mental Illness in the United States. Everybody is affected by budget cuts. That is a reality we have to keep dealing with slowly, but surely. The hurtful part is when we can do more to help ourselves, but we choose not to. It is my daily prayer that one day the reports will show that African-Americans are on top of their mental health.

I know we each have our pet projects, but we have lost a sense of priority when we allow our minds to be a terrible thing to waste. I grew up listening to that soundbite that promoted higher learning. I believe it was the NAACP that made that commercial...i dunno, but it rings true decades later and no one, NO ONE is exempt from developing a serious mental illness when we don't know information and we don't use the information.

It took time with high blood pressure killing our culture, then AIDS/HIV, breast cancer, etc. But an "ill" mind gets worst without treatment, too! We can kick those stigmas right outta the ballpark if we realize we will have our sanity a whole lot longer.....smile.

I'm faithful. Sorry to go deep. (Sigh). Thank you for the encouragement, too. I'm faithful ...

Passing the peace,
Saturday, January 9th 2010 at 4:43PM
agnes levine

Hello Ms. Agnes,

Do what I tell you. Keep God in your mind and our Exodus or Sovereignty on a portion of this continent that we could call our very own country with borders in your heart. It is going to happen.

Okay.

Saturday, January 9th 2010 at 7:19PM
Harry Watley

God bless you, Rev. Carter.

It is my daily prayer for God to guide the millions of African-Americans to mental illness prevention or recovery. It is not a matter of making sales, it is my ministry that often leaves me grieving becaue we do not take the responsibility of mental wellness.

Mental illness is generational and I accept that part of the reason we ignore our mental health is due to our parents/grandparents not teaching us through behaviors to get treatment and we lack trust in the system since the Tuskeegee experiments.

I pray that you do purchase the book and that you contact me after you have read it so that we can discuss it completely. I love to stay in touch with those who have read the book and reached out to learn even more because knowledge is power and the key to coping and managing life with depression, etc. You can reach out to me at any time at coolingwellwater@aol.com.

Part of my studies in the Body of Christ is teaching men and women of God how to effectively minister to congregants with a mental illness condition.

May God's blessings fall upon you always. Passing the peace,
Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at 10:56AM
agnes levine

The American Medical Association says that 50% of Americans need some Psychological Mental Illness Treatment.

6 of us are on this Blog, including, the author of the study;

3 of us need Psychological Mental Illness Treatment.

Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at 11:31AM
robert powell

Hello to All,

I believe that you all have a misunderstanding of what depression is from what abuse is concerning Black Americans. I believe that Black Americans are presently and has always been suffering from abuse and perhaps you all are mischaracterizing our abuse as depression.

I believe that when Black Americans move out of our abusive environment to become a sovereign people or have complete independence from White America on a portion of this continent that we could call our very own country with borders to pursue life, liberty, happiness and prosperity in our own way perhaps we could then see clearly that we are not a depressed people for the most part, but instead have always been an abuse people.

What I am saying is what God did for the children of Israel when Moses brought them out of abuse, bondage and slavery in Egypt God has begun to do the same for us, but none of you could see this happening yet. No doubt, the children of Israel thought that they were suffering from depression as well until they were let out of Egypt and became a sovereign people to pursue life, liberty, happiness and prosperity in the land of Canaan (The Promised Land) am I right.

Tell me what you think even though most of you avoid me as Moses was avoided until he overcame his people’s jealousy, ignorance and stubbornness of him.

Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at 11:38AM
Harry Watley

Harry are you confirmed as one of the 50%----?

A jewish Psychologist thought me to be some 40 years ago:

I had asked him what did the 6 million jews do to deserve to be cooked by their European neighbors during my mothers childhood in Germany?

Tell me what you really know.....

Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at 11:55AM
robert powell

Hello Robert,

I have no idea what you mean about whether I am confirmed as one of the 50%.

However, I will tell you what I know about the tragedy of the Jewish people during World War II.

The road to the Jewish people’s tragedy began 2000 years ago with Jesus. The Jews throughout history had been their own worst enemy. They had always been doing wrong and abusing to each other.

For example, King David plotted the death of Bathsheba’s husband to have Bathsheba. This is an actual conspiracy to murder by a king and a man of God own choosing. However, King David was not a prophet as I am and Moses was. Nevertheless, this sort of behavior continued up to the coming of Jesus when the Pharisees would not permit their own people to worship in the temple because I infirmities. Jesus came to reform them to be more kind to each other and they rejected him as all prophets are rejected. But, the tragic difference is that Jesus could not handle the rejection. Jesus was a bigheaded type person. So, Jesus turned away from his people and took his message to the Gentiles, which sealed Jesus is faith as far as God was concerned and was crucified. Jesus realized how tragic of a mistake he made for his people and himself when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that God would forgive him. However, God did not forgive him. In other words, Jesus entirely disobeyed God when he took his message to the Gentiles and any prophet that severely disobeys God will pay the ultimate here and in the hereafter. Jesus was the worst of God prophets ever risen up, but began as the most favored. The Jewish people paid as well for rejecting Jesus. Today they are the most cooperative people among themselves and do not seek to hurt each other than any other people in the world.

Today, the Jewish people are a spiritually healed people.

When God met with me, I promised God that Black Americans would not make the same errors that the Jewish people made when they turned away from God several times, through out their history once God gets through working on us and I aim to keep my promise with God. I am not going to be easy on Black Americans at all. Moses was very tough on his people and I am going to be tougher on mines that when I am gone I would have done a good job that God would be proud of me as well as I would be proud of myself. God smiled at me.

Tell me what you think.

Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at 1:27PM
Harry Watley

LOL -- thanks for the chuckle.....

Brothers Robert and Clark,

There is proven science that mental illness is biological. Typically, according to what I have learned, Bipolar is carried by the female gene and Schizophrnia is carried by the male gene. In ladies, Bipolar can manifest in the mid-late twenties and in males, Schizophrenia can manifests in the thirties. Early symptoms can manifests in children through teens as well.

Mental illness is largely an environmental onset diagnosis, too. Such as a sudden tragedy or interruption of lifestyle such as loss of job, family member, pet, or criminal attack of some sort.

In a report released just last week, untreated mental illness is being linked directly to Dementia which is the preface to Alzheimers. No mental health issue should go untreated or undiagnosed. Mental illnesses are brain chemical imbalances. There are no cures for brain injuries or illnesses...you ONLY get ONE brain!!!!!:0

Chronic (Clinical) Depression can lead to a more serious mental illness such as Bipolar. In most cases, mental illnesses can be prevented or at least the more serious mental illnesses can be. For example, obtaining treatment for Depression can actually prevent the onset of Bipolar. When the symptoms of Depression last daily for two or more weeks, a mental health/primary care provider should be contacted immediately.

When we visit our primary care dr., we should disclose to him/her if we are struggling with Depression. The symptoms of Depression are:

1) Intense feelings of sadness lasting two weeks or more. This is the intense sadness that makes you feel like bawling your eyes our similar to grieving, but maybe no tears will come;

2) Strong feelings of hopelessness meaning you cannot see your way out of anything with positive results - death seems to always be the best solution and you begin to think of ways to end your life. With teens, in most cases, they will begin to draw pix of death, leave scribblings/notes around to be found, stock up on pills from anywhere/anybody, buy a gun, buy rope, test their weight with belts in a closet, visit "suicidal" websites for "recipes," or tell a friend and make them promise not to tell;

3) Suicidal thoughts or homicidal thoughts even if it is just fleeting thoughts for a moment....go to Emergency Room ASAP!;

4) Unusual periods of irritability, restlessness, or drastic change in appetite;

5) Increased periods of risky behaviors such as speeding, s*xual permiscuity, substance use/abuses;

6) Increased and lengthy periods of sleepyness;

7) Sudden and frequent indecision capability, lack of concentration, forgetfulness;

8) Poor self-esteem or guilty feelings;

9) low energy or enthusiasm in daily activities

There are many mental illnesses and I must offer that I provide readers with the main mental illnesses and their classic symptoms in my book as well as relative resources to take the first step towards help and prevention. My book is one of the best investments you can make for having a usefuland resourceful mental health awareness book at your finger tips. A sane mind today can be altered by daily variables and you and your family should be equipped.

As with all chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes, in MOST cases a person can recover through coping and managing the mental illness once it is diagnosed. Of course, each person is different so there are many medication therapies available and other coping skills available such as support groups.

With all the information and various medications available today, it is just ????? to live with an untreated mental illness. If the mental illness is treated soon enough, medication therapies can change and even stop. I went from taking 11 medications when I was first diagnosed to living with just two medicine therapies today. I had to make changes to my lifestyle the same way my father did when he was diagnosed with diabetes.

Spending too much time going through revolving doors or sliding doors of hospitals got old real quick. y'all feel me? I wanted to live and enjoy my life and I got tired of seeing tears in my kids' eyes, too. amen? Amen!

Ok, let me get off my pedalstool....smile. GET THE BOOK and thank me later.

Passing the peace,
Tuesday, February 2nd 2010 at 2:08PM
agnes levine