MRI Technician Training

There are many different types of mental illness but I’d like to focus on one, depression. Having lived with borderline depression myself for most of my life, I know the feeling of loneliness. Even though I’m surrounded by people most of the time I still find myself feeling lonely, wondering why I’m here, why was I born and if the world would be better off without me. At times I just feel like crying, hiding, and worse. It’s hard for me to understand why and what’s going on, let alone the people around me.

There is still a lot we don’t know about the brain, but technology is growing faster than ever. A MRI Technician these days can do wonders to help map out what is going inside a person’s head. Doctors use these tools to try and help, but for many we don’t have the money or insurance to go.

I’ve put together this list of sites to help those like myself by realizing we are not alone and to possibly help those around us understand what is going on. For most people like myself, there are people who care, the problem is seeing and believing it.

WebMD list Mood disorders as: “These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, mania and bipolar disorder.”

These sites are from people living with these disorders themselves or are living with people who have them. They have decided to write about their journey, sometimes as a way to just express themselves other times in hopes to help others.

The Lives and Stories

Depression Marathon – Etta was diagnosed with depression about a decade ago. Like many she lost the life she once had, but through treatment and her willingness to continue to live she re-created herself into a person she likes. She hopes through her site, others can start to understand and treat people with mental illness with more respect.

Different Thoughts – In this blog, Marian talks about the journey through many different states of the mind and spending time in university. Going through this process without the use of psychiatry, Marian has a unique outlook on what is going on and possible ways to deal with it.

The Eye of the Storm – Tempest, a man who is a network and computer technician, diagnosed as bipolar, has lived all over and is married. He decided to write this site to try and explain who he is and why he is. Along with bipolar, he has sleep apnea which can at times make things much worse, though he now uses a CPAP machine and feels much better. He hopes through his writings he can express himself and in the process give hope to others.

Furious Seasons – As a long term psych patient that has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, this journalist uses his talents as a writer to discuss the quality and direction of mental healthcare here in America as well as around the world.

If You’re Going Through Hell Keep Going – Susan, a writer that has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and struggles with it, uses this site to discuss what she has been and is going through. From listing out the meds she has been on, to topics on a wide variety of subjects, this site has a wealth of information.

Caught In My Bipolar Burble – This young lady self claims “Brought to you by your neighborhood misanthropic, buxom, bondage-positive, bipolar, bisexual, flying, loquacious hedonist author. Now with VNS capabilities.” With post from “Eggs over easy with a side of lawnmower” to “Obviously traumatizing dreams” this site has a ton of information and is well worth the reading.

Bipolar Recovery – Having come from a abusive family, troubled past, time spent in and out of psych hospitals, Jane talks about her past what she went through and how she became a survivor, not a statistic.

Karen: In Theory – Karen, diagnosed with bipolar, uses this site to monitor herself to have some anchor point to be able to tell how she is doing and where she is in life. Coming from a stable home with a happy childhood, Karen is convinced that mental illness is inherited and hard to deal with.

More than Conquerors – A Christian with bipolar, living in Singapore, Nancie enjoys photography and writing. She uses her talents as a writer to talk about her journey with bipolar as well as her belief in God and how he has helped her along the way.

Madsadgirl – As an OU graduate, this girl tries many hobbies in an attempt to take up her time, not allowing her time to think about being depressed. In this blog she writes about life with depression as well as subjects like patient participation and patient rights.

Moody Swinger – Carter, having been diagnosed with manic depressive disorder, uses this blog on the lighter side and try’s to put a little fun into his articles about his life and living with depression.

My Sad Alter Ego – Living with bipolar disorder, this person uses this blog as a place to vent. Feeling that it’s possibly better and much cheaper that a shrink, this site is a place to let their story be told.

My Thirteenth Sad Day – Ruby has filled this site with a wealth of information, from living with depression, relationships, to identity. With such a range of topics, and a ton of post, this site is well worth the reading.

Postpartum Progress – As the most read blog in the US on depression and postpartum, this site is aimed at women who suffer and the people who care for them. This site is packed full of information and is here to try and help. This is a must read for any women, feeling depressed or not, before and after having a baby.

Our Adventure In Bipolarland – In this blog, Sally writes about her life with her husband who has bipolar disorder. She’s a wife, mother and grandmother, who uses her talents as a writer to discuss the issues in and around dealing with someone who had a mental illness.

The Mass Defective – Sid uses this blog to share her story of living with mental illness. As a mother, on disability, she has had many different diagnoses from borderline personality disorder, bipolar, to PTSD, yet she still is not sure which one fits.

The Secret Life Of A Manic Depressive – As a young girl from Ireland, Seaneen uses this blog to talk more about mental disorders rather than day to day life. With a wealth of information, covering a wide range of mental health topics, this site is a great site for those who are trying to understand what mental illness is and how to help.

Rantings and Ramblings – A wife and mother, this lady who is depressed is no longer medicated. In this blog she covers her journey through life, both as a place to express but also in hopes to help others going down the same path.

Disjointed Thoughts – Laura, diagnosed with depression, uses this blog to chronicle her life. Living with depression, feeling a little social phobia, and having OCD has made for an interesting life, follow along through this blog and you might find something that may help you.

Storied Mind – John has put this site together as a place for people to share their stories of recovery in hopes that these stories will help others who are going through life with depression. Loaded with a ton of stories, this site has people from every walk of life sharing their life to help others.

Migrainchow.com – This site is about life with mental disorders, migraines, and more. Written by Immi, about life from day to day. Covering many different topics, and being both funny as well as quite frank at times, this site is well worth reading.

Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness – As a woman living in Australia, this lady is trying to find life again after one horrible incident. After being assaulted, she found that this was the onset of depression and PTSD. Living with the assault would be hard enough, the rest most can’t imagine.

A Tangle Of Weeds – As a single mother, Kate is a free spirit caught in a prison of depression and finding herself spending way too much time watching life go by. She uses this site to ramble about her life, things that make her laugh and things that make her cry.

All About Bipolar – This site is brought to you by a 25 year old mother of four who finds herself living with bipolar and panic disorder. She uses this site to discuss her life, what she is going through, and how she is coping in hopes that she can help others who are going through the same thing.

My Mentally Ill Life – Carol, a wife and mother, finds herself supporting her special needs daughter. Through this blog she covers her journey, in hopes to help others, as well to try and find answers for her own journey.


The Professionals who can Help:

Laura’s Psychology Blog – As a professor in the world of Psychology, Laura uses this blog to discuss and cover many different ranges of mental illness. This site has a wealth of information, for anyone trying to find answers this site is a must read.

Mental Health Blog – This site covers all areas of mental illness in all ages of individuals. With post covering a wide range of topics, a forum, and a great list of counselors this site as answers to most of the questions you can come up with.

PsychCentral – This site is probably one of is not the largest site covering mental health. Covering conditions, drugs, news, and research, with resources and a great blog, this site has it all. With the wealth of information this site has, if you have or care for someone who has a mental illness you need to be reading this site.

Beyondblue – This group is here to help both the individual as well as bring a national focus to the needs of those suffering from mental disorders. They are working to build a society that understands and is able to respond to the need of someone living with depression.

Beyond Meds – Although this site is a personal site covering the journey of one man’s life dealing with mental illness, I’ve put it here due to the amount of information in the site about the need for and over use of medications.

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