Blogs
Megan Griffith
Polyvagal theory has become an integral part of my healing journey as I learn to accept and cope with my trauma. But what is polyvagal theory? Let's talk about it.
Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez
You've heard that laughter is the best medicine. It is not only a figure of speech, but there is truth to the saying. Laughter is such a great way to feel better and to overcome negative feelings you may be feeling. If you struggle with chronic anxiety, incorporating laughter into your life can help to relieve many of those symptoms that you experience.
Nicola Spendlove
I am experiencing heightened anxiety at the moment, as I am waiting for important medical results. I usually avoid sharing my anxiety with my family, but this time I decided to be more open. Telling my brother, who has chronic mental health issues, about what I am going through was surprisingly helpful.
Juliana Sabatello
Love is a powerful force, but when it comes to loving someone with mental illness, we have to think about how to love through a different lens. We all likely have seen this type of story before where someone with mental illness or trauma falls in love, finds happiness, and suddenly all pain and hardship disappears for good. These savior stories create unrealistic expectations of what it's like to love people with mental illnesses as if the right person can rescue them from their darkness and pull them back into the light.
Kate Beveridge
Holding down a job and working with borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be challenging at times. The fluctuating, unstable emotions can get in the way of good work performance and maintaining a positive reputation. Working from home with BPD presents unique challenges and advantages if you live with this disorder.
Meagon Nolasco
Gender identity in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, etc. (LGBTQIA+) community is important when speaking about mental health. Society has made a habit of assigning gender based on assumptions relating to outward appearance and tone of voice. Mental health concerns can be tied together with gender identity and it is important to respect an individual's chosen identity without our own biases getting in the way. Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ mental health community or being an ally to this community begins with basic respect for gender identity and the willingness to learn and be curious regarding aspects of this community we are not aware of.
George Abitante
The last time you got a poor night's sleep, did you feel more anxiety during the day? And on the other side, how often have you noticed your sleep was really bad before a big deadline or after a really anxiety-provoking day? I have experienced both of these, and it's actually pretty common for people experiencing regular anxiety.
Mahevash Shaikh
We are living in the age of the gig economy, but how are these side hustles affecting depression? According to Forbes, more and more people are freelancing due to the pandemic. With freelance life being highly uncertain, I know people who are looking for/working day jobs in addition to freelancing. While it can be monetarily and soulfully rewarding, having a side hustle may have a negative impact on depression. Let's see why.
Cheryl Wozny
Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC
Do you play tug-of-war with your anxious thoughts? I often find myself playing this exhausting, time-consuming game, and it can be frustrating. If you find yourself trying to let go of anxious thoughts but they keep returning, you could be playing mental tug-of-war with anxiety. If you tend to overthink, playing tug-of-war too often, and would rather do something else, read on for insights into this annoying mental game and ways to put down the rope.
I want to cry. I feel relief that I may soon have answers so in turn I can get help and continue to better myself so I can be better for my sons. I’m happy. Sad. Sad that it has taken to to 39 years old to finally finding answers and validation of who I am as a person and that there isn’t anything “wrong” with me, but I hope it is enough time for me to be a better mom and a better person.
Honestly, even with Seroquel Lithium and Gabapentin I'm still dealing with severe symptoms of rapid-cycling BPII disorder, BPD and severe panic disorder.
Medicine seems to be useless for helping me control my behavior and just breathe (unless it's nicotine, which is arguably my most helpful mood regulator).
My ex picked up and left me without a word one day after a particularly bad manic episode where I got into using fentanyl and she found out. I deserved it though. She deserves better than me.
Was with her for a year. Thought I was marrying her. Tried to kill myself 20 times in a row with the fent after that and needed to be psychiatrically hospitalized.
I'm 18. Where did my life go? I'm going to die with this disorder and it's going to control me for as long as I live in one way or another because it's a chronic chemical issue in my head.
Bipolar II disorder destroyed everything around me and I was responsible for picking up all the pieces. My hypomania is exactly like Mini-Me pushing all the bad buttons in my brain until I cave and give into a dangerous impulse. I'm not done picking those pieces up yet.
But after many months I got over her leaving me and recognized that I need to stay mentally stable, occupy my time with sober people and smoke until my lungs fall out of my chest instead of trying to find romantic love and compassion that I'm never going to receive from a normal person. It just can't happen. I can't afford to risk things going wrong.
I'm also happy to be sober today, with the exception of smoking 2 packs a day.
Normal people will never understand the emotional dysregulation we suffer with, and it destroys everything around us even though we're not the ones in charge at that point.
I've made mistakes and have committed unspeakable acts during manic episodes that I will have to take to my grave with me because I am truly a horrible human being when my disorder kicks in.
Step 4 is not for me, because if I took a written personal inventory and confessed every wrong I did to another human being, I'd be rotting in a jail cell for decades. Bipolar disorder is an unmanageable disease sometimes, and it makes people do things they're not proud of to say the least.
I'm cool with having all my friends and family in NA, I don't need a psychonormative woman to break my heart or cheat on me and send me careening off the nearest bridge/get me put in jail because I killed the person she had an affair with/send me back out into the world of active addiction because I just flipped my shit and decided to try overdosing again.
I'll stay away from romance for my own sake.