Here ’ s to a New Year & a New Start in 2019

I won’t be sad to see 2018 leave. It’s been a rough year. For the country. For mental health advocates. For the public mental health system in America. And for me personally. I’m not sure where to begin. But I’m pretty certain where this will end. When every day becomes a chore, and every morning a challenge to wake up to, you know you’re at your wit’s end. 2018 was a lot like that for me. Despite the joys — such as celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary with my wife back in Antigua — it was hard to find some glimmer of light in the darkness. You see, my Dad lost his battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2018, in the evening of November 28th. He’d been living with the disease for over 20 years, so it’s not like we didn’t know this was coming. And it’s not like he didn’t have a full and fulfilling life. It’s just that the end, when it comes, is always hard. It’s always sad. No matter how much you think you’ve prepared yourself for it. What still disturbs me is the long, hard wait in hospice care while he lay there, unable to open his eyes, much less speak. The last few weeks of his life were spent largely in unconsciousness. His body held on tight, even while his mind had let go long ago. The way I remember Paul, my Dad, is as a fun-loving, personable, and friendly man, a guy who could talk to you all day about anything you wanted and make you feel at ease. Paul enjoyed his pro...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Grief and Loss Holiday Coping Source Type: blogs