Darkness…Discovery…Deliverence!
Hi, I’m Karina Pommainville-Odell and welcome to my blog!
Are you sick and tired of being sick? Of living under the storm cloud of your mental illness(es)? Are you looking for a friend who you can relate to instead of hearing things like; “it’s going to be ok”, “just relax”, “it’s just a phase” or God forbid; “Snap out of it, you’re just not trying hard enough.” I promise you’ll never hear those banal, insulting and hurtful comments from me! Why? Because the last 5 years of my life have been stolen and twisted into something out of a nightmare that I thought I would never escape. I recently caught a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel and I’m fighting my way towards it. I’ve learned so much, and I can’t stand the thought of more people feeling as lonely, isolated and desperate as I have been. I’m here to share everything I know as well as the questions I’m asking myself that I feel will propel me not only into recovery, but self-actualization. This isn’t just about mental illness…it’s about the struggles of being human. Now I won’t sugar coat anything – in fact the beginning of my work has been considered depressing. What I think you will understand far better than most, is that it wouldn’t be raw and honest if I jumped immediately into sunshine, lollipops and rainbows…if you catch my drift.
I KNOW how hard you’re working, I FEEL your pain despite our differences and I will NOT lie to you. If it means anything, I’m here. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need. An ear, a shoulder and a fresh pair of eyes!
Helping Someone Else
If you’re here because a member of your family or a friend is going through these mental issues, I pray that my writing can open a window to help you better understand what they’re going through. The journal format of my first book is to include you in the grimmest, darkest and most raw details of mental illness without the barriers and confines of medical terminology. If you’ve been feeling powerless to help your loved one, step inside my book to glean an idea of what tends to help and what doesn’t.
My second book, ‘Let’s Recover Together’, is an unconventional self-help guide. It’s something to work through side by side and includes growth exercises, reflection questions, journal prompts and much more! You can read more about it here.
For more information regarding myself and the mission of my books and blog, please visit About Me.
I am not a therapist, social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist or anything of the sort. I am simply a fellow struggler and know how painful it is to go through these things feeling trapped, alone and shrouded in a fog that distorts your mind. I promise to be your companion through this journey and help in any way that I can!