Prompts From Jenny (With Her Answers!)

 List 20 Things That Make Me (You) Smile:

1. Putting on my makeup to start the day
2. Taking a nap with my cat
3. holding my cat
4. listening to music
5. playing on my computer
6. play games with staff
7. riding on the bus
8. money
9. my phone - I drop it & it didn't break! Yes!
10. My nail polishes
11. my paintings
12. shopping
13. my books
14. my music
15. my friends
16. my computer
17. my cat
18. sleeping
19. my skills
20. and my love for people who love me

What I Do When I Hear Voices:

1. Listen to music
2. I keep myself busy
3. I play games with my staff
4. I journal
5. I swing on the park's swings
6. I play and take a nap w/my cat
7. I play on my computer
8. I do crafts
9. I shop
10. I clean

Photography By: Alanda McRae
"Purple Irises"
2009

5 Core Beliefs (Prompt Answers)

FIVE CORE BELIEFS THAT GUIDE MY LIFE ARE:

1. Believing in myself
2. Loving myself
3. Loving God
4. Loving Others
5. Loving my Children

---Lorrie W.

1. Stay healthy
2. Have fun
3. See my mom
4. Basketball
5. Looking at pictures of Family & Friends

---Leon B.

1. Best friend
2. Staff members
3. Myself
4. Animals and Pets
5. Talking to my doctor

---Julie R.

#IMMORTALGIRL <-:Click Here & Click Here:-> #THEFOG🌫 

Stereotyped Continued... {Prompt Answers}

Describe a time when you felt you were unfairly stereotyped because of your age or any other characteristic:

"When I started coming to Human Behavior Health Services, I had recently been admitted to the Psych Ward of Oaklawn Hospital. I used to chant to myself to keep my every-day going. It wasn't a list of what I needed to do - it was one specific thing. But it helped. I was lashing out at my body in strange ways. Cutting. Not eating. Spacing out. And then the chanting wasn't helping. So I allowed the admittance. Because I just didn't know what to do anymore. So I spent 18 days in the Psych Ward trying to figure out what I already knew, that I was schizophrenic. It runs in the family, so it felt like a waste of time. Then I was suggested for after-care therapy. I am grateful for it, but it seems an inconvenience for both parties." 

-Julia P.

"When I was a freshman in high school, I was an outcast. I thought I was an outcast because I didn't fit in simply. I loved, loved, loved my music. I think people thought I was a rebel based on that and after school I didn't study. I went to the fort me and a few friends made and I smoked my cigarettes. I'd skip school and go to a friend's house. But I wasn't trying to be a rebel, I was just being wild and free - not dangerous or anything at all..."

-Scott C.

"I am unfairly stereotyped because I'm on disability. I am diagnosed Bipolar, PTSD, and I have a seizure disorder. People (my family) assume I don't work because I'm lazy. The family doesn't understand. They don't try to understand. They don't know my details and I haven't corrected them. So, they make up rumors to spread behind my back.. It's hard to describe a specific time because it's been ongoing for years. They won't help me when I need it because they don't believe I try to help myself."

-Melanie P.

Click to read Part 1... 

(I'm not a fan of part one, but I don't think too many folks are. Keep an eye out for part 3 - yes, there are even more answers waiting to be posted. I feel this particular prompt is something many people can relate to because everyone is assumed to be something for some miniscule reason at some point in their lives...)

Distractions (Prompt Answers)

WHAT IS A SURE-FIRE WAY TO DISTRACT YOU FROM THE TASK AT HAND?

"Well, if something goes wrong - like a fire or an accident - that is a sure way to distract me from my task at hand." -Lorrie W.

"People talking to me and trying to ask questions when I'm reading a book or watching a movie. I can't multitask - I try to, but I just can't." -Julie R.

"1. The sound of firetrucks going by. 2. Somebody telling us that they see critters in our yard. The critters are 5 deer, 4 rabbits, 4 woodchucks and 3 cats. I can't have pets in the house I'm living in. 3. A baseball game on T.V. 4. Playing cards with my housemates." -Deb G.

"Playing basketball, video games, or football. I do my comics and bring them in to cut out a little violence and swearing. I need to go for a walk twice a day. Then I'm gonna go to sleep for about 3 hours. Make more comics. When I'm on the phone and people talk to me. All of these can be very distracting." -Leon B.

"Having our house lady ordering me to do something now instead of listening to me that I'll do it in a little while." -Scott C.

"Music and books pretty much guarantee me getting distracted. Asian dramas draw me in and you won't get my attention at all. It's not really difficult to split my focus to be honest." -Lana J.*

*Name changes per request*

(If you aren't distracted by Matt Smith with a bunch of different Benders - you are more focused than a Jedi Master on Ritalin...)

Winter Blues by Lorrie W.

As the cold winter has me stuck inside, I'm trying to watch my weight and thinking about joining a gym. But the cold walk changes my mind. My mood has been a little moody with not much to do - a little blue. My mind has been, too. I'm trying to change my eating habit sense I have diabetes and that's been a little hard. Trying to lose a little weight but you know in the winter we all seem to put that weight on. Missing my kids and grandkids even though two of my kids I haven't seen since birth and it's been like 20 years since Chris and me were together. Will it ever come together again? I'm really not sure how to get with the two younger ones and they were adopted or taken from me. Only God knows the answer, I guess... 

A Prompt to make you Think...

Three qualities I'd like to strengthen about myself are...

"My creativity, my patience, and my emotional strength. My creativity is good but could be better. My patience and emotional strength are definitely works in progress!" 

- Lyn M.

Stress (Prompt Answers)

How impairing is stress in your life?

"I have problems with stress in my life. It makes me want to sleep. I sleep until I wake up not feeling stressful. I have problems with depression and I don't need stress, too." -Deb G.

"I wish I could have no stress, but it is hard to live life with a lot of stress. It's taking a toll on me. I feel like I have no control over it. But I'm learning how to deal with it." -Julie R.

"Stress is very impairing in my life. I have too many responsibilities, too many people trying to dictate my life, with children in the background going "Mom, mom!" I am bipolar. This triggers me; sometimes it triggers mania and a lot of the time I sleep. It also triggers unhealthy coping mechanisms, which I'm not going to mention here." -Mel P.


{Stress is a common occurrence for everyone in the world. This doesn't mean we are affected by it in the same way or to the same degree. Please remember that before you make any judgement...}

Stress & Challenges (Prompt Answers)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS?

"I'm not very good at managing stress. I try to relieve it as best I can when it happens. One thing I've been meaning to try is to listen to music when I'm stressed. I need to work on that!" -Epifanio I.

"I use sudoku and music to help me when meditation fails me, which is rare. My ability to manage stress is largely dependent upon external factors and how my anxiety responds to them. Thankfully, I've been using yoga and meditation with deep breathing for over 20 years to cope. I heartily recommend it." -Alanda M.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST CHALLENGE YOU'VE HAD TO OVERCOME?

"I think the hardest challenge I had to overcome was with my addiction to alcohol. I was never happy and being sober has made me happy again!" -Epifanio I.

"Managing my stress. I've always been a person who's stressed since as early as 7 years old. Getting people to recognize this issue was difficult which made getting help with it an issue as well. No one takes me seriously about it which just stresses me out more. So even though I have an array of coping techniques - it is still an everyday issue I have to focus on to get over." - Alanda M.