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coulsonlives · 9 months

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Recently, I saw a post about how it's good to leave the house every once in a while and get fresh air, and it got me thinking. Because yup, fresh air is great, it can be shitty for mental health if you're cooped up a lot, if you don't change your scenery!

But: that last part made me think about my experience as a kid, and I'm sad about it. When I was a kid, I was in a suburban neighborhood. Technically, I could leave the house and go for walks and get fresh air anytime I wanted. But it was awful for me, and how my mind worked!

I couldn't possibly walk to anything, because the nearest amenity was a 7/11, and it was like an hour-long walk there and back. So the whole idea of walking felt meaningless, unsatisfying. And there were no sidewalks, so I stressed out abt having to use the same road that people drove their vehicles on (and in this day and age, nobody pays attention on the road, so yikes). There were no distinguishing 'landmarks' to help me keep track of where I was, not even any trees, just cookie cutter houses and lawns and very same-y roads, so I always got lost (yep lol, in my own neighborhood!). Maybe I was getting fresh air, but the process made me feel dumb and lonely and confused.

I was basically walking around, day in and day out, in some empty liminal space where all the houses looked the same, where I could walk for literal hours and never feel like I was going anywhere, like I was on a treadmill, and it kinda messed with me. We didn't even have a park nearby. It was literally just this. Day in and day out. Nothing ever changed. There were no events or anything, nothing to look forward to, past putting on some new music on headphones. I barely saw another person. When I did see someone, they were always in a car, trying to get out of the neighborhood to go somewhere that was actually interesting and not mind-numbingly empty!

It was super shitty. Yep, it got me out of the house which was good, but it could've been so much better if there had just been. A freakin park, or a place to gather and actually see other people (these are called 'third places' and suburbs, like, never have them!). Even if I didn't need to talk to anyone, and I just wanted to people-watch, I would've loved something like that. Alas, there was no chance for spontaneous interactions, or for fun, interesting things to happen, which I think is super super underrated, and a big part of 'getting out of the house' as a complete package.

Gonna link to a Vox article, bc I thought it was really insightful:

How our housing choices make adult friendships more difficult - Vox

#i remember talking to someone w low vision and they found it super shitty too bc they couldn't drive #so they had to rely on someone else to drive them everywhere outside of the suburb (ie anywhere interesting)#bc there weren't even any buses in service in the area which they might have been able to take themselves #i think the word they used was 'degrading'#third places #third place #neighborhoods #car dependence #urban planning #mental health #self care #vox #accessibility

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coochiequeens · 3 months

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A teen girl with mental health issues who expressed a desire to transition was removed from her family who wanted to try treating the mental health issues before transitioning was romeved from her home by the state’s child protective services and is now in Canada?

By Anna Slatz. January 29, 2024

A family in Glasgow, Montana is accusing the state’s child protective services of “kidnapping” their teenage daughter after the girl began to identify as a transgender “boy.” Krista and Todd Kolstad spoke to Reduxx about their ordeal, revealing that the child had been removed from their care and was now going to be sent to Canada.

Krista, the child’s step-mother, explains that their nightmare began in August of 2023 after they received a call that their 14-year-old daughter, Jennifer*, had expressed suicidal ideations while at school.

“She had always had problems at school,” Krista says, noting that she and Todd had even pulled her from one district and sent her to another due to issues with bullying in an effort to give her a fresh start. But despite experiencing some real-world hardships, Krista claims Jennifer also had some undiagnosed mental health concerns, including attention-seeking behavior.

Later on that same evening, a case worker with Montana Child and Family Services (CFS) showed up to the Kolstad home to speak with Jennifer and do an inspection. Krista had been preparing dinner at the time, and invited the case worker to tour the residence despite both her and her husband being distressed by the sudden appearance.

Todd, Krista, and Jennifer in a Christmas photo. SOURCE: Supplied.

During the interview with CFS, Jennifer claimed to have consumed toilet bowl cleaner and painkiller medications that day in an effort to commit suicide. Krista says that it had immediately struck her as being highly unlikely, as not only did Jennifer not have access to either substance unmonitored, but that Jennifer had expressed no symptoms of imminent illness that day.

Despite their doubts about the veracity of Jennifer’s claims, Krista and Todd agreed to take Jennifer to the local hospital on an emergency basis. While there, blood work returned that Jennifer had not consumed any toxic substances.

Krista and Todd provided Reduxx with copies of Jennifer’s medical paperwork to substantiate their claim that Jennifer had not consumed any dangerous substances the day she was admitted to hospital. The paperwork confirms that there were no abnormalities detected in Jennifer’s system, and that her overall physical health was good.

But notes taken at the hospital consistently mention that Jennifer identifies as a “male” and wishes to be called “Leo.”

From the hospital documents. SOURCE: Provided.

Krista says she and Todd immediately made their objections known to Hospital staff, requesting Jennifer be called by her birth name.

“We were very clear to the emergency room staff as well as [CFS] that this goes against our values, morals, and our religious beliefs,” she said, but hospital staff refused to listen. “They told me to call their lawyer if I have an issue as they will do what the patient tells them.”

While the medical transitioning of minors was prohibited in the state of Montana at the time, Krista says the hospital told her that “social transitioning” was a “grey area” and continued to call Jennifer “Leo” and refer to her as a boy.

As a patient admitted for suicidal ideations, Jennifer was placed on 24/7 watch to keep her safe. But Krista says an aide was placed outside of her door who would regularly talk to Jennifer about “gender affirming” care.

“I came one day and she was talking about having top-surgery and being non-binary,” Krista says of the aide. She took her complaint to the on-duty Doctor, who dismissed her. “He told me, ‘why are not you more concerned that your daughter is trying to harm herself, then what [the aide] is talking about?'”

Another aide who had been set to watch over Jennifer similarly chastised Krista, telling her to “respect” Jennifer’s wishes to be called “Leo.”

Krista describes Jennifer’s time in the hospital as a period of constant efforts to undermine her and Todd’s parental authority. In addition to not respecting their wishes to refer to Jennifer by her birth name, hospital staff refused to abide by any other requests, such as limiting Jennifer’s TV and phone time, encouraging her to do her school work, and not allowing her to have copious amounts of junk food.

During this time, Krista and Todd had communication with Child and Family Services, and all agreed that Jennifer would benefit from specialized residential care for treatment and counseling. But during a conversation about where Jennifer could be placed, Krista says the possibility of her being moved to Wyoming was presented.

Jennifer and Todd. SOURCE: Provided

“They told us that there were 6 facilities in Montana, but that there was also a facility in Wyoming. And at that point, because we were already in such a state from the hospital disrespecting us and our wishes, we immediately looked up Wyoming’s laws on transitioning minors,” Krista says. “It looked to us like kids could go ahead and have procedures done and have hormones without parental consent.”

Concern began to set in, but Krista and Todd were assured that the most likely scenario was Jennifer being placed in a Montana-based facility, and on August 22, Krista and Todd were told that Jennifer was next in line for a bed in Billings, Montana.

But hours later that same day, Krista and Todd were called and informed Jennifer would be moved to Wyoming.

“They called and told us that a bed had opened up in Wyoming and that Jennifer needed to go. [The Doctor] said ‘she has to go. she’s not doing any good here,’ and we were really blown away,” Krista recounts. “No one talked to us about the the name of the facility — we had no one to answer our questions. We told them we wanted our questions answered before we accepted the bed.”

Ten minutes later, Child and Family Services arrived at the Kolstad residence with police.

“They showed up at our home to serve us with papers to take Jennifer out of our care,” Krista says. “They told me the reason was that we were ‘unable or refusing to provide medical care.’ That’s just not true.”

The next day, August 23, Jennifer was transported to Wyoming. Despite the fact that Krista and Todd were not allowed to see Jennifer during her move, CFS did allow Jennifer to stop and see friends and co-workers prior to leaving the city. Krista would later find out that Jennifer had told her friends that she was “crazy and trying to kill herself” and was being taken away from her parents.

“I feel this was a lapse in judgement by [CFS], a violation of HIPAA, and a miscarriage to Jennifer, as she is only 14. What if, when she is 17, this incident is behind her and she is in a good place mentally? This is a very small town and they have just let her brand herself as the ‘crazy kid’ who tried to kill themselves.”

While Jennifer was in Wyoming, neither Krista nor Todd were allowed to speak with her directly. Instead, they had to go through Jennifer’s counsellor, but Krista says they were very reluctant to give her information.

Krista later had to request Jennifer’s records from the center in order to get an understanding of what had happened to her while she was at the facility.

A letter sent by Krista to CFS expressing dismay at the situation and offering Jennifer clothes and comfort items. SOURCE: Provided.

On September 25, Jennifer was returned to Montana and placed in a Youth Dynamics group home where she has remained ever since.

“They called it ‘temporary legal custody,’ which means they have the say over where she is at, but we are supposed to be able to have the say over everything else. But that was not upheld. There were incidents of her getting vaccines we did not consent to, we were not told the name of the Doctors involved, and she was allowed to shave her head,” Krista says.

Since Jennifer returned to Montana, Krista and Todd have had monthly court meetings along with Child and Family Services to determine next steps. The couple was assigned a public defender, who simply encouraged them to keep their head down until the process was complete.

“I am not trying to throw them under the bus… but all of their advice has been ‘play nice, just let her finish the group home program and then get her back in your care and move on with your lives.'”

But while the group home placement should have been just 6-9 months, the family’s situation took a dramatic turn for the worse during their hearing on January 19, 2024, when the court decided to hand custody of Jennifer over to Child and Family Services.

“We were told that letting Jennifer transition and live as a boy was in her ‘therapeutic best interest’ and because we aren’t willing to follow that recommendation, the court gave CFS custody of Jennifer for six months,” Krista says. “CFS is now going to place Jennifer in the care of her birth mother in Canada, who has never really been apart of her life. The judge said to us ‘you need to expect that reunification with your family may not be what you are expecting.'”

Krista and Jennifer. SOURCE: Supplied.

Jennifer’s birth mother, Christine, currently lives in Kitchener, Ontario with her new husband. After Jennifer was born, Christine reportedly left the child with Todd, and has never been involved in her care since.

“She’s never called to see how [Jennifer] is. She’s never sent her anything. Nothing,” Krista says.

According to Krista, any communication from Christine at all has been sparse, and she has never made a meaningful effort to have a relationship with the children she left in Montana. Despite her apparent lack of interest, Krista has been sending Christine semi-regular updates on all of her children for the past seven years.

But disturbingly, Krista explains that she and Todd have grave concerns about Christine’s fitness as a parent.

“I have this letter from one of Jennifer’s previous counsellors that recommends that if Christine wants to come back into her children’s lives, she should do unification therapy, there should be trial visits… all of this stuff should happen because the children reported her as being abusive,” Krista says.

Krista and Todd provided Reduxx with a copy of a statement from a licensed professional counselor detailing sessions that Jennifer and her sister had attended. Both girls described Christine as being uncaring, abusive, and even “crazy.”

In one section of the statement, the counselor describes one of the girls as witnessing “incidents of violence directed at an older sibling,” which involved Christine “throwing that sibling against the refrigerator after becoming enraged at her” for wearing her mother’s jewelry without permission. The child goes on to detail “incidents when her biological mother would punch, hit, slap, and kick her and her siblings.”

An excerpt from the counseling report reviewed by Reduxx. SOURCE: Provided.

Jennifer similarly alleged disturbing cases of abuse by her biological mother, including one time Christine reportedly grabbed and held her around her waist while repeatedly slapping her in the face.

Of the five children Christine and Todd had together, only one had lived in Canada with Christine prior to aging out of her care. While living with Christine, the boy exhibited severe behavioral problems to a point where Christine approached Krista and Todd for help.

In one conversation, Christine admits to regularly checking homeless encampments and police records in anticipation she would one day find her son in jail.

Child and Family Services was provided both the counselor’s statement and the text messages, but Krista said that nothing could be done to intervene in Jennifer’s placement.

“Our family has been destroyed by this. We have little to no contact with Jennifer and our rights as her parents have been trampled on,” Krista says. But despite the turmoil that has been brought into their lives, the couple says they will never stop trying to help their daughter come home.

Krista and Todd chose to defy a judge’s order to remain silent on the case in order to tell their story. They were set to appear in court today to respond to charges of contempt, but have had to delay the hearing due to a family emergency.

“We will continue to fight. We will never give up on our daughter and for what we believe is morally right. We will continue to tell our story, even though we are currently in contempt of court, and try to keep other families from going through this. Our greatest fear is that our daughter is now going to become a victim of this system and eventually take her own life.”

While Krista has expressed fear that the family’s legal avenues are limited, she has said that they intend to find any means they can against Montana Child and Family Services as well as the hospital where Jennifer was treated.

“I will also be looking at if we have a case against Youth Dynamics Group Home for socially transitioning our daughter against our wishes,” Krista says. “This is NOT about money, this is about standing up and telling our story so this does not happen to another family. We will fight to save our daughter no matter what it costs us financially or emotionally. That’s what parents do for their children.”

*The child’s name has been changed at the request of her parents.

#usa #montana #Glasgow #Montana Child and Family Services (CFS)#The link between mental health issues and gender dysphoria #The kid lied to CPS about consuming dangerous substances #Hospital staff allowed a mentally fragile teen unlimited access to TV and her phone?#While not monitoring her diet?#And not encouraging her to catch up on homework?#The kid is going to be sent to live in Canada with a biological mother who she barely knows?#And the bio mother was abusive?#Youth Dynamics Group Home

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narrenmat · 10 months

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Therapy is when you go to a stranger who interrogates you about the worst moments of your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life, who is replaced by another stranger who interrogates you again about the worst moments in your life...

#repetition #therapy #text post #It harms my mental health on the net but it helps with accessing services that DO help #mental health

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andthebeanstalk · 1 year

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Infinity Train isn't the best counterpart to Last of Us on positive representation. Remember the only explicitly Neurodivergent character in Infinity Train became a villain and died brutally on screen?

No, I don't remember. But what I do remember is that the entire core concept of the show is basically "a train that puts people through magical therapy." And so I remember that nearly every lead character is clearly dealing with some form of mental illness or another. I don't need every character to be explicitly diagnosed onscreen to know that the show is chock-full of neurodivergent characters, so I'm quite genuinely not sure what you mean. Have I missed something?

#like correct me if I'm wrong but i recall Simon's inability to see other living creatures as fully alive came from a place of entitlement #and i didn't see it as an accident that it was the white boy who was ultimately unable to break free of the power it gave him #but like. I don't know how a neurodivergent person can watch season 2 and come away with #the idea that MT is somehow a neurotypical character written by a neurotypical person #and in season 4 the guys fight a monster that is the literal embodiment of depression. am i missing something?#what does simon have? i don't recall him explicitly stating a mental illness or difference. maybe I've forgotten #but like. all the characters are mentally ill. for some of them that is why they are on the train!#having all of them state an official medical diagnosis would not only be distracting but impossible in some cases #mt doesn't have access to mental health services how could they know??#simon was a mentally ill person who got so fucking sucked into the comfort and power of cultism that he was lost and it was a tragedy #I never got the impression that this was because he was more mentally ill than other people on the train.#just like how people who get really into conspiracy theories are not doing it because they are mentally ill.#illness might make them more vulnerable to brainwashing but there is a DRIVE that has to be there too.#and very often that drive is a kind of hatred and insecurity that cannot be reasoned with. it is a tragedy. a very real tragedy.#original

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politedemon · 1 year

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passed my exam and don't have to resit my relief is immeasurable

#it's Only a pass but considering he refused to give us the marks during strikes and over the weekend #in case we needed to access the uni's mental health services. i count it as a win.#and given how impossible i found it the fact i scored 55% makes me wayy more confident for my other assignments

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summerreign4077 · 2 years

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Wouldn't it be nice to have a country where "active shooter situation in an elementary school" just wasn't a thing?

#end this nonsense #common sense gun control laws NOW!!!#Also better and more affordable access to mental health services among other things #Republicans have far too much blood on their hands.#Now they have the blood of 14 more innocent elementary school students on them as well #vote blue in 2022 #vote blue

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vetteldixon · 1 year

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i’ve tried and failed several times to compile some kind of tag index, and i think the way it’s going to get accomplished is if i do the drafting process piecemeal on me actual blog. filter out #tag index wip if you don’t wanna see that stuff, but it shouldn’t be something that clogs the dash!

and if any of y’all have any suggestions or tips for the kinds of tags you’d like to have easy access to, toss me an ask or something because my first attempts stalled when i realized there’s a couple dozen tags i use regularly...

#tag index wip #part of my trouble with accessing mental health services has been that i need more diagnostic neurological testing which is silly #when hi hello let me show you my special interest blog with an ad hoc esoteric organizational scheme #anyway this should be fun lfg

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firefly-fez · 2 years

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i am very passionate and hot headed but also a fairly easy going person who gets along well with pretty much anyone so it’s not that i don’t have a nemesis per say exactly, in fact i very much do have a personal nemesis, it’s just that my mortal enemy isn’t a person so much as it is the entire bureaucracy that governs the medical speciality of psychiatry. 🙃 no i will not elaborate 🙃

#textpost #shitpost #look you can only access psychiatric services in the private healthcare sector where i live mmmkay #you cannot get psychiatry via public healthcare #unless you are having an emergency #like you are actively having a mental health breakdown or psychotic episode etc #and if you have a medial condition like me where only a psychiatrist can prescribe your meds #then having to pay through the roof for private psychiatry is very bad #not to mention theres so much stress on psychiatric services atm they have decided they just arent taking patients with my condition #which is adhd btw #so anyway stupid psycchiatrists are out here getting away with discrimination #meanwhile i cant do anything but pay them whatever they want #and i dont know i just think holding someones livelihood for ransom just isnt a good way to run a healthcare system #like #if i wanted to reduce the suicide rate #i would try NOT doing that #idk i just feel like its worth a try #like has it #has it occurred to you #that a policy of #'are you suicidal? no? come back when you are'#probably doesnt help reduce suicide #has it occured to you #in your thick stupid skull #that maybe #since we know preventative healthcare helps reduce negative health outcomes #that maybe just maybe #we should #make services available #BEFORE IT BECOMES A @%CKING EMERGENCY

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radio-charlie · 2 years

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This is related to the ongoing issue of how much contempt our country holds for its young - but ya u can't really solve the problem by looking at the older generation and going "JUST BE NICER" because... with what resources la sayang. diorg got their trauma kitorg got our own, that we had to deal w back then with very limited knowledge and means. 1998 where got ppl talking abt depression lol. where got discord vent channel or little graphics of smiling flowers telling us our feelings are valid

What u have are a bunch of miserable cunts who need to themselves be given safe and healthy outlets for wtv pain they have. yes it is our responsibility to be kinder to our young, that's undeniable. but its also the responsibility of wtv powers have declared themselves our stewards to help us do it yea

#better and more accessible mental health services would be nice for one thing #ive not heard anything good abt befrienders lol

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anarchywoofwoof · 3 months

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the funny thing is that i don't think younger people - and i mean those under the age of 40 - really have a grasp on how many of today's issues can be tied back to a disastrous reagan policy:

war on drugs: reagan's aggressive escalation of the war on drugs was a catastrophic policy, primarily targeting minority communities and fueling mass incarceration. the crusade against drugs was more about controlling the Black, Latino and Native communities than addressing the actual problems of drug abuse, leading to a legacy of broken families and systemic racism within the criminal justice system.

deregulation and economic policies: reaganomics was an absolute disaster for the working class. reagan's policies of aggressive tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, and slashing social programs were nothing less than class warfare, deepening income inequality and entrenching corporate greed. these types of policies were a clear message that reagan's america was only for the wealthy elite and a loud "fuck you" to working americans.

environmental policies: despite his reputation being whitewashed thanks to the recovery of the ozone layer, reagan's environmental record was an unmitigated disaster. his administration gutted critical environmental protections and institutions like the EPA, turning a blind eye to pollution and corporate exploitation of natural resources. this blatant disregard for the planet was a clear sign of prioritizing short-term corporate profits over the future of the environment.

AIDS crisis: reagan's gross neglect of the aids crisis was nothing short of criminal and this doesn't even begin to touch on his wife's involvement. his administration's indifference to the plight of the lgbtq+ community during this devastating epidemic revealed a deep-seated bigotry and a complete failure of moral leadership.

mental health: reagan's dismantling of mental health institutions under the guise of 'reform' led directly to a surge in homelessness and a lack of support for those with mental health issues. his policies were cruel and inhumane and showed a personality-defining callous disregard for the most vulnerable in society.

labor and unions: reagan's attack on labor unions, exemplified by his handling of the patco strike, was a blatant assault on workers' rights. his actions emboldened corporations to suppress union activities, leading to a significant erosion of workers' power and rights in the workplace. he was colloquially known as "Ronnie the Union Buster Reagan"

foreign policy and military interventions: reagan's foreign policy, particularly in latin america, was imperialist and ruthless. his administration's support for dictatorships and right-wing death squads under the guise of fighting "communism" showed a complete disregard for human rights and self-determination of other nations.

public health: yes, reagan's agricultural policies actually facilitated the rise of high fructose corn syrup, once again prioritizing corporate profits over public health. this shift in the food industry has had lasting negative impacts on health, contributing to the obesity epidemic and other health issues.

privatization: reagan's push for privatization was a systematic dismantling of public services, transferring wealth and power to private corporations and further eroding the public's access to essential services.

education policies: his approach to education was more of an attack on public education than anything else, gutting funding and promoting policies that undermined equal access to quality education. this was, again, part of a broader agenda to maintain a status quo where the privileged remain in power.

this is just what i could come up with in a relatively short time and i did not even live under this man's presidency. the level at which ronald reagan has broken the united states truly can't be overstated.

#twitter #fuck ronald reagan #fuck conservatives

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