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Mental Health in 1969 — October Memoir Challenge — 15 Comments

  1. Oh Joy, so true about the inability to live in the presence and to accept help from others.
    There are so many layers to life, aren’t there? At the age of 62, I am still unwrapping new layers and learning new things about my family and myself.
    I accept that as a good thing, but wish I could unwrap a little faster 🙂

  2. Wow. And you never know how close others are to you. I was on the other side of St. Louis, a 9-year-old who wouldn’t meet you for another four decades, but now on your side.

  3. Oooh! Yes, mixed bag, isn’t it. These were the times before Oprah. You didn’t talk about things. And who do you confide in? I relate all too well. My dominant character trait is hyper-vigilance. But help from others, a chronic problem. So glad to walk this path with you and other in Jane Ann’s challenge.

  4. Oh, Joy. This is a remarkable post. What you said about the facade of the “happy” family is so true. So far, I’ve stayed away from some of the more complicated stuff (I didn’t experience anything like this, though). A beautifully written piece.

  5. Very well written, Joy, and on a subject that is not easy to write about. You showed lots of insights and sensitivity toward mental illness. I especially liked the statement you made about the photo not telling the whole story! How true.

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  7. I’m probably the same age as your Mother. That’s me, with a different hairdo in your photo, but I didn’t have shock treatments until 1991. In March I published Mom’s Crazy: Her Bipolar Memoir, you might find it interesting to have a look at the other side. I plan to offer it free on Kindle this weekend. I just stumbled on your post this evening by following you on twitter. In 1970, the year my memoir starts, I’m living in Atchison, Kansas, with my husband and two children.

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  12. Childhood can be pretty tough when you can’t do anything about what’s going on around you. I also have abandonment issues. To this day, I can’t walk in the front of a group or even just one other person. I’m always scared to death that I’ll turn around and they’ll be gone.

    You are very brave and strong, digging through your past and posting it here. There are things in mine I’d just as soon leave there.

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