YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Since the board was reorganized I've been poking through some forums I've never read and came upon your thread. I took care of my mother at home for a few years and then was her advocate and very frequent presence at her nursing home for the last 3 years of her life. As far as your dad's health - is...

I'll start this off--listened to it last night and I enjoyed it very much. There were a couple of parts where Paul and Oliver just dissolved into laughter and I enjoyed that--I laughed out loud too. I get where Oliver is coming from as far as trying to "be there" for his father--I felt the...

Jimmy - I feel like you may not be too far off when you mention "too many pucks to the head". Unfortunately, hockey is now turning into the same disaster as football - dementia abounds due to head injury. I'm cutting him a break on the interview because I think there IS a cognitive issue t...

RG, he sounds like a narcissist (you don't play the game my way you get the silent treatment) or possibly does he have Asperger's? They're really control-ly like that and they love long-distance relationships because they can control everything if they so choose. I don't stay friends with exes. I ju...

Rivergirl-- After the caregiving---I think almost everyone wonders what the hell we'll do when the caregiving is over. I thought "what good am I?" and there was no way I wanted to volunteer at a hospice or anywhere sick people were because I felt pretty traumatized by the whole experience....

OMFG, is he kidding? He doesn't want to live with "a depressed person"? Well maybe you don't want to live with AN ASSHOLE! And to state you would have to stay in a motel while you're looking for a job and a house---fuck him. A total dick. It's more carrot-moving, do you see it? You actuall...

RG, this dude is useless to you. And I'll tell you something else---there are people who specifically target kind and caring people like you because they're easier to manipulate and abuse. The fact that you feel guilty about not being able to do more (though you're doing a ton) for your mom is norma...

Rivergirl, the emotional detachment when you were telling him you had to take your mom to the ER is a red flag. I was always available to talk to my ex and he didn't offer the same. He would ignore calls or answer and immediately say he was busy and would call back. In hindsight I now know that's be...

Rivergirl, a very similar story here except with a horrible twist. Same age, same long distance, add a few more years, he seemed SO INSISTENT for me to move where he was while I was seeing my mother through Alzheimer's disease. Even when she went into the nursing home, SOMEBODY had to advocate for h...

I'm so sorry, I'm just now seeing your thread. I want to say how sorry I am for your loss. Every emotion you have is RIGHT for the indefinite future. I can't even imagine what you're going through and still able to function? You are stronger than I. Mr. Watie is my age, I was born in 1962 also. And ...