Immortalized!

This lovely little person decided to do my portrait at the end of their art session when they had their own choice of subject matter. I did an intro to faces last year when they were in grade one, so she took the opportunity to demonstrate how much she had retained and further developed.
It's quite a novelty to be the subject rather than the artist!

She Wasn't Supposed To Cut Down On The Mood Stabilizers Yet...

But she did.
I figured this out late today when I finally managed to contact TwinB on the phone. Last night she engaged in her 'routine' - drank too much, put on horror movies and in an attempt to delay cutting, she tried to carve some words into a buddha figurine instead of her arm. At this point, being none too co-ordinated, the knife slipped and cut the back of her wrist.*
(I couldn't resist commenting that she can tell people that she tried to slash her wrist but is dyslexic)
I was really baffled - she's been doing great - but now suddenly I heard those same old ghosts leaking from her voice...why did she sound so hollow? I hadn't seen it coming at all.
As we talked it through I discovered that she'd cut her divalproex to half in an effort to follow doctor's brilliant plan.
I'm rather shocked at how soon the results showed up, but at least now know the timing for my arrival if she embarks on that little experiment again.

As she was puking into the toilet, her cat positioned itself on the tank and kept batting the lid onto her head. She had to keep her arm pressing against it and said the cat pushed back with surprising strength. Not the easiest way to hurl especially since she ended up laughing in between. cats are amazing little shits!

*oh - apparently it was 'accidently on purpose' and landed on the inside of the wrist just below the base of the thumb.

THEY (the image)

this is the artist's rendition of her stay in solitary on the psych ward. she was 14 at the time.

what's the opposite of 'Happy Place'?

'THEY'

My visit with our local doctor went well - he was informative and empathetic and the exchange gave me a glimpse into the medical community's perspective regarding mood versus personality disorders. Don't know when they decided that a large chunk of their clientel should be shifted from Bipolar over to Borderline but I have a few hunches as to why.
(big surprise - I'm renowned for my theories, certainly amongst my closest circle)

They view those persistent, troublesome behaviours as 'impulse' issues; if They haven't been able to successfully manage or eradicate these problems over the course of a few years, it seems They will define the whole shit-storm as being ingrained in the personality.
Here's where I have a problem with that:
*those impulses aren't exactly something that a neurotypical person has to contend with so the clients are battling a myriad of weird shit that shouldn't be there to begin with.
Maybe the shrinks have factored that into their current view...I'll have to see.
*as for defining long term mood problems and behaviours as more of an innate personality deal, I s'pect that it's a case of 'if we haven't been able to solve this to our satisfaction you're just not trying hard enough'.
That was the situation just a couple of decades ago with ulcers (the husband and all his siblings endured that one) when the illness was blamed mainly on stress until an Australian researcher proved it was due to the proliferation of helicobactor pylori...
D'oh!
(I love that he did it in such an Australian way - cooked up a batch, drank it down, then set about figuring the best way to eliminate it)
So - what now?
TwinB will trot off to the Borderline Personality Disorder specialist and we'll see what shakes outta' that.

They is an image that TwinB put together following her stint in solitary confinement on the psych ward when she was 14. A previous occupant had somehow managed to scratch that word (in 2 or 3" high letters) into the enamel paint on the steel door.
when I find it I'll post it.

Wha....?!

TwinB had her third visit with a shrink in Calgary yesterday who pronounced her diagnosis based on the first 2 sessions.

* still shaking my head *

I've had this mental subtext sputtering through my head all day - ...'but she's not (list of behaviors)!' and she's never! (lists of other traits/behaviors)

After the shrink dropped the 'B bomb'* on her, Twinb had the nerve to question the shrink on specifics and was only met with "I guess you're not willing to accept the diagnosis", then she was given the recommendation to go off her mood stabilizers with the option to increase the seroquel if necessary.

Resulting (I suspect) in a drooling yet psychotic, non-functioning TwinB.

TwinA freaked out when I mentioned the withdrawal of mood stabilizers...there's been alot of unpleasant fallout when twinB forgets or underdoses...so 'B and I both reassured her that if it happened at all I would make sure it was following art lesson season when I could be present.

*the infamous Borderline Personality Disorder.

I'll be consulting her local doctor here tomorrow for suggestions.

Best Job In The World

Yes sir, I got it! Best job that is.

Art class season is gearing up - I've had my first day of introductory lessons for the Nechako school Bird Mural - and all the recreation department sessions have started as well.

This young fellow attends Nechako and happened to be in one of the classrooms I visited on Tuesday...he was rather stoked to tell me "did you know that people are saying that you're the Best Artist in Canada!"

I assured him that no, I'm actually not the best artist in Canada but I do truly appreciate their admiration and confidence in my abilities.

So how could being caretaker of a reef island off Australia compare to that?

Comes up a little short in my opinion.

Clabber-ay-shuns

A collaboration between TwinB and I is where I snag one of her images, then finish and frame it. Been pretty succesful so far. Every piece has sold and this one already has an interested party.
So little 'B...does this give you incentive?