Where Ideas Come to Fester

Me: *reads what I just wrote*

Me: Huh. Well, that’s clearly foreshadowing.

Mental Illness is not a part of “God’s Plan”.

Christianity isn’t the cure all for illness nor does it protect us from it.

Reading verses might be a way of self care and help some, but it is not a cure on its own and neither is prayer.

DO NOT DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM GETTING MEDICATION.

DO NOT DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM SEEKING THERAPY OR OTHER HELP AND ACT LIKE THE CHURCH THAT IS FAILING TO UNDERSTAND THEM IS BETTER THAN A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.

Mental illness will not go away with Bible study and prayer alone.

Do not turn this into some possession by the devil.

Do not try to guilt those suffering with “well do you think God wants you to suffer like this? He doesn’t.” Because you’re too busy worried about them blaming God than helping them.

This is not the result of a lack of faith.

This is not the result of moral failing.

Churches should speak openly about mental illnesses.

Mental illness is not a spiritual issue.

It is not a punishment.

Scripture and medication are not enemies and can go hand in hand.

@thebritishscyphozoa​ is an amazing human who made this mood board for my LARP character, Raven Black

Raven is an employee of Tactical Studies Rules Incorporated (TSR INC) circa 1987. She had a deep and unyielding crush on a woman named Claire Burgess which she could not admit because Regan era and the AIDS crisis. Claire was killed by a vampire outside a goth club in Milwaukee and Raven was powerless to stop this (yes, I know, bury your lesbians, and I am sorry). In her hunt for justice, Raven was drawn into a much deeper conspiracy around time travel, dreams, and the collective subconscious. Now she fights to understand the deeper truths of the universe and struggles to survive in a world that never made sense but now makes way less sense.

I also did no meal prep. I don’t even think I went shopping right before I left.

This is not about apples and oranges. This isn’t even about my husband. This is about the fact that this is apparently WEIRD.

Another mum at my daughter’s school is leaving for ten days. She’s taking her youngest (who is a very small baby) and leaving her husband with their two girls. She has been cooking for days preparing freezer meals. She’s panicking and deputizing her six year old to remind him how to make school lunches. AND I AM APPALLED.

A) He is definitely not helpless. (He’s a doctor or something.) What gendered bullshit. B) THAT LITTLE GIRL IS NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER AND HER SISTER’S WELLBEING. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. C) Why is she married to this person and creating children with him if he’s this big of an idiot?

While she was laughingly recounting this, the other mums were nodding and smiling sympathetically, like oh yes, I too have my caveman at home!! Such managing required! I was the only one who was like “Dude, he’ll be fine. Literally. He will be fine.” I said it a lot. She was not convinced. She kept bringing up her older daughter. She’ll be like a little mum!

NO.

NO NO NO NO.

NO.