Marty Raaymakers

Marty Raaymakers

I am an avid & passionate, motorcyclist, grandmother and rights advocate. As a Certified Michigan Peer Supports Specialist (MPSS) I am the writer of the MPSS Leadership Training. I have been involved with NAMI Michigan Education and Training for twelve years.

I am a NAMI National Board Member and am a National Trainer in two programs; In Our Own Voice and Connection.

Twenty-two years ago, when I was in my late 30s, I received a mental illness/psychiatric diagnosis or two. Or three. Some were right. Some were wrong. Some different diagnoses have been added along the way.

For a while I truly thought I had a revolving door diagnosis, whatever psychiatrist who was on the other side of the door that someone shoved me in; was the flavor of the month. None of the diagnoses have ever been removed, even when it made no sense to keep all of them. It doesn't really matter what those diagnoses are since most of them didn't work out in recovery for me.

Now I spend most of my time writing; ac articles, training, education courses, producing videos and podcasts. I am in the process of bringing up blogs in leadership and recovery.

I am a solo motorcycle tourer who fits her writing around her travel; a Winter Texan, a Summer Michigander and a person who celebrates life.
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Displaying Results 1 - 71 (of 71) for All Content
  • Good Money and Finanace Blogs for 2012
    3/26/2012
    These six blogs are a great start to saving money, investing money, making more of the money that you already having coming in, and ways to earn more money.
  • Stress, Available Time and Mental Illness
    11/4/2011
    When we are under stress, when we feel there is too little time and are trying to hurry; injuries and accidents may happen. Then we end up with less time than we had to begin with.
  • Stress is Having Too Little Money
    11/4/2011
    When one is unemployed or underemployed, not having health benefits can be a real problem is one has chosen to try to work. Not making enough money can inhibit our recovery.
  • Noise, Stress and Our Mental Health
    11/4/2011
    Noises have been studied and have been proven to add to a person's stress level. Plan what you want and need to do to lower the noise in your life
  • Lights, Stress and Mental Illness
    11/4/2011
    People who are diagnosed with a mental illness/psychiatric disorder are often in programs or in group homes where they have little or no control over the types of light bulbs that are used. Cheap bulbs that will save the program or group home money.....
  • Mental Health, Stress and a Loss of Control
    11/3/2011
    When one is diagnosed with a psychiatric diagnosis or a mental illness one thing that most feel is that there’s a loss of control.
  • Peer Support in Mental Health
    10/24/2011
    Unpaid peer support is natural peer support. Natural peer support happens between friends, like when we share thoughts and ideas over coffee. There are also many different types of peer support in Michigan where peers are paid for providing peer support.
  • Sleep, Stress and Mental Health
    10/21/2011
    Sleep is very important to people with a mental illness/psychiatric diagnosis but worrying about the amount of sleep has not been found to be helpful
  • Stress Cycle--Overview
    10/10/2011
    Stress is a word researchers say is hard to define. People know what stress is, but when different people try to put words to what it is; the words often aren't the same. Stress to one person may be speaking in public. To another it may be sitting outside
  • Stress Cycle-The Recovery Phase
    10/10/2011
    Tension takes a lot of energy. Anxiety takes a lot of energy. Unresolved issues or situations that drag on and on take a lot of energy. It can end up being a fatiguing series of events.
  • Stress Cycle-Fight or Flight Response
    10/10/2011
    The fight or flight behavior can be either mental or physical. It is the adrenaline rush. Many remain on high alert for extended periods of time.
  • Stress Cycle-Activating Event
    10/10/2011
    For people who have a mental illness/psychiatric diagnosis, there may be multiple activating events that pile on top of one another. These events may look like:
  • Eating for Better Mental Health
    10/8/2011
    High Fructose Corn Syrup is used in many things. It keeps products soft and protects freshness. People were getting anxious about the HFCS so the farmers asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HFCS to be renamed to corn sugar.
  • Diabetes in People with a Mental Illness
    10/8/2011
    What is important is that we take control of what we can take control or responsibility for.
  • Metabolic Syndrome and Mental Health
    10/8/2011
    Whatever you choose to try to do, remember that any small, sustainable change will build up over time. The small changes that stay in your life can be an extremely valuable way to improve your health.
  • Psych Meds and Weight Gain
    10/7/2011
    Patients/Clients/Consumers taking the medications of Zyprexa and Clozaril often gain so much weight that they are at increased risk for obesity related problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • LIght Therapy/Light Box Therapy
    10/7/2011
    Light therapy is a proven treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is also recommended for things such as nonseasonal depression or insomnia.
  • Second Hand Smoke as a Risk Factor
    10/7/2011
    Second-hand Smoke is smoke that happens to you. It is also called passive smoke. It is more deadly than the smoke that the smoker inhales.
  • Risk Factors for Heart Disease (Birth Control)
    10/7/2011
    If you smoke or have other risk factors, birth control pills will multiply your risk factor, especially if you are over 35. The birth control pills increase your risk of heart disease and raise the possiblity of blood clots.
  • Four Types of Fat
    10/6/2011
    One way that the oil we eat are processed is hydrogenated. When an oil is transformed with hydrogen it is called a “trans fat.” Hydrogenated oils are highly processed and are in many of the foods that we eat.
  • Stress and Belly Fat
    10/6/2011
    Stress and abdominal fat seem to go hand in hand. Even when a person is of normal weight, when one is under stress the amount of fat stores increase, especially belly fat.
  • Modifiable Risk Factors
    10/5/2011
    In a World Health Organization report there were six top major health risks identified. These are hypertension, smoking, high or raised glucose level, being physically inactive, obesity and high cholesterol. Patients who have schizophrenia have high....
  • Risk Factors in 25 Year Early Death
    10/5/2011
    People who have a mental illness or psychiatric diagnosis may have additional risk factors on top of those found in the Framingham Heart Study.
  • Smoking as a Risk Factor
    10/5/2011
    Smoking is a large risk factor to people who have a mental illness or psychiatric diagnosis. One prime reason is that we smoke more than other populations. This percentage has gone up as more people who have been able to quit have.
  • Coping Skills for Mental Health
    10/5/2011
    Finding new and improved ways to cope with the stresses that life passes out is often a crucial part in people’s recovery journey.
  • Stress as a Risk Factor for Heart Disease
    10/4/2011
    Three stresses such as health, wealth and relationships are the three main stressors whether one has a mental illness or not end up becoming even more of a major stressor with the addition of a mental health diagnosis in one's life.
  • Paid Peer Support (Michigan Specific)
    10/2/2011
    Peer run organizations are sometimes called Peer Providers or Consumer- Operated Services. Some peer provider organizations are non-profit and some are for profit.
  • Master List to Control Stress
    10/2/2011
    Sometimes the reason we don’t get stuff done is that we just don’t want to face what we need to do, but part of the reason that we don’t get stuff done is that we just don’t remember.
  • Psychotropic Medications Can Help But
    10/2/2011
    A person might become able to slow or stop the the hallucinations and delusions from escalating (becoming so severe to lose their grasp on reality) if one can catch what's happening faster. This may help a person become more pro-active in treatment.
  • Problem Solving; The Basket Theory
    10/2/2011
    When everything is a priority then nothing ends up being a priority. Everything can't be changed at once. How can one decide what to try to deal with first?
  • Problem Solving; Three Steps No Fail
    10/2/2011
    Jana talks about the 3 Steps No Fail as a way to build a bridge from where you are to where you want to go. It shows one a way to not be so overwhelmed by ideas and thoughts. If one becomes overwhelmed, little or no progress may be made on one's dreams.
  • Relaxation is Important to Mental Health
    10/1/2011
    According to Wikipedia, a relaxation technique is any method, process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of anxiety, stress, or anger.”
  • Appreciation Journal
    10/1/2011
    In our recovery journey, especially if we are struggling with depression or are caught in a negative time, it's hard to find things we appreciate. There are times when it is hard to think about positive things but an appreciation journal may help.
  • Intentions Instead of Affirmations
    10/1/2011
    For some people, when they think about things like, “fake it till you make it” can be a huge stumbling block that is not easily overcome. Using intentions can work also.
  • Small Changes
    10/1/2011
    We make promises to ourselves and maybe an ultimatum or two. All too often when we have tried the big change and things haven't worked out well, we walk away from the problem feeling a total failure. Making sustainable small changes can work much better
  • Changing Thought Patterns
    10/1/2011
    Many people who have a psychiatric diagnosis struggle to change their negative thought patterns. Negative thought patterns are thoughts that come into one's head that isn't wanted or needed. Here are some tips that can work
  • Psychotropic Medications and Heat, Light and Sun Sensitivity
    8/20/2011
    Your child may be become sunburned extremely easily. Skin may itch when exposed to sunlight. Your child may sleep a lot when the days are warmer. Bodies may become overheated . Sensitivity to both sun and lights also can affect eyes and eyesight
  • 7 Small Changes to Help One Move More
    8/11/2011
    I used to think about exercise a lot. Then I would beat myself up because I was just thinking about exercise and not actually doing it. For many people thinking about exercise is a good first step.
  • Cantonese Gourmet East in Flint Michigan
    8/9/2011
    The 'Big Lunch Specials' are $5.49 and available any time of day. There's more than enough for two people and the selection is great.
  • 7 (+3) More Iphone Apps that Keep Me Sane
    8/9/2011
    More iphone apps that help me maintain my sanity and operate well in my world. Some just make me smile, some help me stay organized which is a major daily stressor.
  • Top 7 Iphone Apps that Keep Me Sane
    8/7/2011
    Iphone Applications have become a part of my life and thus a part of my recovery journey I waited anxiously for years for the iphone to come to Verizon. I was afraid to even begin to try a return to the ATT network. Here are my top 7 apps
  • Mental Health Recovery Through Small Changes
    7/27/2011
    When we approach life and make small sustainable changes, we are most often able to carry them out in a way that means we will be able to sustain the change or changes. We break the huge changes into small, sustainable, easier to manage steps.
  • Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway & My Honda Motorcycle
    7/20/2011
  • My Favorite Motorcycle; The 1982 Honda GL500I
    7/20/2011
    For me, Honda GL500I Silver Wing is a great nimble touring bike. For years I've thought nothing of just hopping on and riding from Michigan to Texas or from Michigan to Florida, or wherever. Powerful enough, economical that I can afford to travel.
  • Blue Water Bridge Enshrouded in Fog
    7/19/2011
    It felt bizarre, standing in bright blazing sunshine but not being able to see the cars crossing part of the Blue Water Bridge. Even with a vehicle as large as a semi, you would see them appearing out of a dark, hazy curtain.
  • Blue Water Bridge Blanketed in Fog
    7/19/2011
  • Why I Started to Write for Associated Content
    7/9/2011
    I'm glad I started to write for Associated Content. In the future I want to write more news and local interest stories and make a video or two and branch out more. I want to learn more about writing online, SEO, and building page view
  • Niagara Falls on the American Side
    6/30/2011
    Watching Matt feel the thunder and roar of Niagara Falls while experiencing getting drenched in the spray while on the Cave of the Winds tour was an amazing experience. Grateful for the shoes and poncho, we left them for charity when we came out.
  • Disabled Freighter in Saint Clair River
    8/12/2010
    Shortly after departing Sun Oil, while southward bound on the Saint Clair River the petroleum tanker Sidsel Knutsen lost power due to an engine fire.
  • Recovery and Resiliency that Rocks
    7/10/2010
    Hard rock songs are strong, loud and often vibrant. It's hard to drown out a hard rock song. The music is overpowering, even when distractions occur. We want our recovery to be like that. We want our recovery to be stronger than what life throws at us.
  • National Postal Museum in Washington DC: Review
    7/9/2010
    Discover who the mail thief is by finger prints. Be an amateur sleuth and decide who the crook is by examining the handwriting. Is it a good copy of a signature, a forgery or is it real?
  • Avandia; Glaxo-Smith Kline Diabetes Medication
    7/9/2010
    People who take medications to cure side-effects of other medications may be at an increased risk for heart attacks if Avandia is prescribed.
  • Great Pasties at the Berry Patch
    7/8/2010
    "Are the pasties here good? Are they true Yooper pasties? Are there rutabagas in your pasties? If there isn't any rutabaga in the pasty, it's not a true Yooper pasty. Are they fresh? Do you make the pasties here? Are they homemade?
  • National Postal Museum July 2010
    7/8/2010
    National Postal Museum, good for kids, fun to visit.
  • Natchez Trace
    7/7/2010
    There is never really a bad time to motorcycle and camp on the Natchez Trace Parkway. At times you need to watch the weather, but in winter it's less crowded.
  • My Kawasaki Vulcan in Houston, TX
    6/17/2010
    Last night I was in Hartford missing my motorcycle. Riding on the Natchez Trace, I received a call about doing a training. I said yes, I could be in (Houston) in March. There was a covered parking lot I could leave my bike in.
  • Riding a Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD
    6/15/2010
    I put thousands of miles on my first Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD. It always started and handled anything I asked it to do. I rode it in snow, rain, mud and in many days of beautiful sunshine.
  • My Life and Motorcycle Touring
    6/15/2010
    One of the best things to take on a long motorcycle tour, is a partner that can carry half of the gear. This hasn't worked out really well for me so far. I end up carrying the gear myself.
  • 2010 Honda Fury
    6/12/2010
    One day I was sitting in a bookstore thumbing through motorcycle magazines, thinking that I needed to get a new bike. Something newer. Sharper. It looked OK in blue. It looked OK in black. I started to drool over the silver model
  • I'm Going from Rags to Riches
    6/11/2010
    The first thing I would do would be to buy a few motorcycles and jet skis.
  • Top 5 Easiest Ways to Incorporate More Fiber into Your Diet
    6/3/2010
    If just thinking about adding more fiber into your diet is a daunting idea this article contains five easy ways to add more fiber into your diet. To help one's body more easily adjust to more fiber, add fiber gradually.
  • The NAMI Hearts and Minds Online Course
    5/25/2010
    NAMI's Hearts and Minds is a free course offered by NAMI that is available totally online. The course talks about the need for a holistic approach to mental health because to be well, one must be well in both the body and the mind.
  • More Flying for NAMI
    5/24/2010
    When people walked up to me and told me that it was a gorgeous jacket, I would always smile and say, "Why thank you. This is my XXX state coat..."
  • Stigma at Associated Content
    5/23/2010
    On Associated Content, being a person with experience in Mental Illness means stigma. I wanted to think about applying to be a feature editor in the area of Mental Health. Here is what I read:
  • May is Mental Health Awareness Month
    5/18/2010
    Know that recovery is possible and that recovery is possible for everyone. People wonder if recovery is possible and if recovery is possible for them. It is and each person gets to decide what recovery will look like for him or herself.
  • Flying for NAMI
    5/12/2010
    People go to a lost luggage store to reclaim the luggage their airline lost. I am amazed there is anything left in the luggage. (Kinda like I am amazed that some of my stuff was still there at the end of my hospital stays.)
  • Riding the Blue Water Trolley in Port Huron, Michigan
    5/10/2010
    The Blue Water Trolley in Port Huron, Michigan is a great little narrated tour of 40 local sites of interest. If you want to see sites in Port Huron, Michigan, the Blue Water Trolley is an enjoyable ride.
  • People with Mental Illness are Dying 25 Years Early
    5/10/2010
    For too many years, stigma and a lack of knowledge has contributed to the alarming statistic that persons with a mental illness/serious psychiatric disorder are dying 25 years earlier than a typical person who doesn't have a mental illness.
  • My Top Ten Personal Finance Blogs
    5/3/2010
    There are a number of reasons that I am an avid reader of personal finance blogs. Some alleviate my guilt over not being able to save. Many help me learn how to keep the money I have. Some help me better understand what to do with the money I have.
  • Consumer Survivor Memorial in Washington, DC
    4/30/2010
    The Consumer Survivor Memorial in DC is part of nationwide cemetery restoration projects to restore dignity to the tens of thousands of people in unmarked graves. For many years people who died during a stay at a state mental hospital or asylum....
  • Vitamin D & Mental Health
    4/30/2010
    Friends of mine who had been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) had been using light boxes for years. I had even borrowed a light box to try a couple of years ago. It hadn't helped me.

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