Until recently, I never identified as someone who went through childhood trauma. Dysfunctional family dynamics – oh yeah. But trauma? No. Until I started learning about it and talking to my counsellor, Andi. She knows my psychiatric diagnoses but also all the juicy details of my childhood to adult history. “What you experienced is called […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/girl-jeans-kid-loneliness-236215-e1575298497660.jpg800800adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-12-03 22:43:502019-12-07 12:47:21Other People’s Trauma is Way Worse Than Mine – Or Is It?
December is almost here and the pressure to have the perfect holiday experience can come along with it. Not only that, but we live in an aspirational, Instagram-curated world. Maybe we always have (minus the social media bit). The “great American dream”, “the pursuit of happiness”. Capitalist culture is based on the quest of bigger, […]
I went to Stanford. Well, ok…not in the traditional way. Like I didn’t go there for university. But I did go there to see The Manic Monolgues, a storytelling project I assisted with. True stories may be the most powerful stories there are. When I perform my theatrical keynotes about my lived experience with bipolar […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/person-holding-blue-ballpoint-pen-writing-in-notebook-210661-e1572964074273.jpg800800adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-11-05 21:17:162019-11-05 06:30:59The Healing Power of Sharing Your Story
Indecision can fan the flames of anxiety and really do a doozie if you have an anxiety disorder. We live in a society that reveres the ‘just do it’ mentality. Allowing confusion to be part of an effective decision making process just doesn’t jive with our ‘expert-self-reliant-I’ve-got-it-together’ kind of attitude. But here’s the secret. It’s ok to not know; to […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/annie-spratt-Ewfrjh0GvtY-unsplash-e1569852298592.jpg801801adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-10-15 18:45:382019-09-30 12:11:40How to Reduce Anxiety and Indecision Using this Simple Strategy
How do you support an adult child who has a mental illness? How do you as a caregiver hang in there when your adult child, who so clearly needs help, refuses it? I get requests from parents and caregivers just like this every week. Some of you reading this right now may be facing these […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/anh-nguyen-v-NBXj3Yv5o-unsplash-e1569850331886.jpg800800adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-10-01 18:13:012019-10-01 13:33:57Supporting Adult Children with Mental Illness: Resources and Experiences
Wabi-sabi. (Whah-bee/Saw-bee). C’mon say it with me. I know you want to. Just saying it makes me feel a little better. These two strange words and the concept it encapsulates, has changed the way I look at failure, my mental health, my life, humanity. Seriously. I was introduced to it by the same dear friend […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/failure-bow-video-screenshot-1-e1566398269580.png476476adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-09-18 19:38:252019-10-23 07:41:30Wabi sabi and the Failure Bow Could Just Change Your Life
I’ve been talking to strangers from foreign countries on-line. Wait. It’s not what you think. They have prevented me from falling into depression, helped me avoid perfectionism, boosted my productivity, decreased my loneliness and reduced my procrastination. Are they therapists? Nope. One has been a journalist, a computer programmer, another a business school student. Even […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/beautiful-computer-desk-2089368-1-e1567023108381.jpg800800adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-09-03 20:30:442019-08-29 10:41:16Can This On-Line Productivity App Help Reduce Depression?
September is fast approaching. In light of this, I thought it apropos to write a post regarding accommodations for students with mental health issues in a post secondary setting. Creating accommodations help students who have mental illness reach their academic potential. Whether you’re advocating for yourself, or helping to advocate for someone else here are […]
http://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/adult-blur-books-261909-e1565128149961.jpg800800adminhttp://victoriamaxwell.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/temp_logo.pngadmin2019-08-21 07:12:522019-08-21 07:10:28Accommodations for Students with Psychiatric Disabilities
Other People’s Trauma is Way Worse Than Mine – Or Is It?
adult children, Anxiety, bipolar, depression, evidence-based, mental health, Mental Illness, resourcesUntil recently, I never identified as someone who went through childhood trauma. Dysfunctional family dynamics – oh yeah. But trauma? No. Until I started learning about it and talking to my counsellor, Andi. She knows my psychiatric diagnoses but also all the juicy details of my childhood to adult history. “What you experienced is called […]
Curb Your Perfectionism: 9 Tips to Rewire Perfectionistic Patterns
Anxiety, depression, mental health, Mental Illness, Practical Tools, resources, self help tips, self-careDecember is almost here and the pressure to have the perfect holiday experience can come along with it. Not only that, but we live in an aspirational, Instagram-curated world. Maybe we always have (minus the social media bit). The “great American dream”, “the pursuit of happiness”. Capitalist culture is based on the quest of bigger, […]
The Healing Power of Sharing Your Story
creativity, mental health, Mental Illness, storytellingI went to Stanford. Well, ok…not in the traditional way. Like I didn’t go there for university. But I did go there to see The Manic Monolgues, a storytelling project I assisted with. True stories may be the most powerful stories there are. When I perform my theatrical keynotes about my lived experience with bipolar […]
How to Reduce Anxiety and Indecision Using this Simple Strategy
Anxiety, Practical Tools, resources, self help tipsIndecision can fan the flames of anxiety and really do a doozie if you have an anxiety disorder. We live in a society that reveres the ‘just do it’ mentality. Allowing confusion to be part of an effective decision making process just doesn’t jive with our ‘expert-self-reliant-I’ve-got-it-together’ kind of attitude. But here’s the secret. It’s ok to not know; to […]
Supporting Adult Children with Mental Illness: Resources and Experiences
adult children, Anxiety, bipolar, depression, getting help for others, help for family, Mental Illness, resourcesHow do you support an adult child who has a mental illness? How do you as a caregiver hang in there when your adult child, who so clearly needs help, refuses it? I get requests from parents and caregivers just like this every week. Some of you reading this right now may be facing these […]
Wabi sabi and the Failure Bow Could Just Change Your Life
creativity, evidence-based, inspiration, mental health, Mental Illness, Practical Tools, resources, self help tips, self-careWabi-sabi. (Whah-bee/Saw-bee). C’mon say it with me. I know you want to. Just saying it makes me feel a little better. These two strange words and the concept it encapsulates, has changed the way I look at failure, my mental health, my life, humanity. Seriously. I was introduced to it by the same dear friend […]
Can This On-Line Productivity App Help Reduce Depression?
Anxiety, creativity, depression, mental health, Practical Tools, resources, self help tips, self-care, social supportI’ve been talking to strangers from foreign countries on-line. Wait. It’s not what you think. They have prevented me from falling into depression, helped me avoid perfectionism, boosted my productivity, decreased my loneliness and reduced my procrastination. Are they therapists? Nope. One has been a journalist, a computer programmer, another a business school student. Even […]
Accommodations for Students with Psychiatric Disabilities
adult children, Anxiety, depression, evidence-based, getting help for others, mental health, Mental Illness, Practical Tools, resources, self help tips, social supportSeptember is fast approaching. In light of this, I thought it apropos to write a post regarding accommodations for students with mental health issues in a post secondary setting. Creating accommodations help students who have mental illness reach their academic potential. Whether you’re advocating for yourself, or helping to advocate for someone else here are […]