The longer we continue to face the COVID-19 Pandemic, the more chaos we might start to feel in our minds. When this takes place, we can have a harder time coping with our depression. I am finding this to be true for myself over the past several days. Are you feeling that too?

I haven’t heard schizoaffective voices in almost two months. That’s pretty exciting news, isn’t it? I started hearing voices much less because my psychopharmacologist increased the dosage of my mood stabilizer. It’s so good to be free of the voices and I don’t take it for granted.

I have up close and personal as well as professional information about anxiety and chronic health conditions. Over the past year, I've been diagnosed with a whopping nine chronic health conditions, many of them autoimmune and most of them digestive in nature. I'd like to share with you four tips that I use to keep my anxiety low despite these chronic health conditions. 

After years of my voicemails going unanswered, high co-pays, and failed medications—I'm finally at a place in my life where I'm getting quality mental health care. But I want to caution you: this didn't come without great persistence. I've spent 15 minutes on hold with my insurance only to discover my mental health coverage wasn't through them. And I've called countless offices just to hear, "I'm out of network."

If you're anything like me, the last few weeks have been a rollercoaster. Ever since COVID-19 took over the media, politics, and our minds, it can seem difficult to think of anything else. While the fears (and realities) of Coronavirus are less than ideal, forced quarantine provides an opportunity for growth. It's not every day that must stay inside for the good of humanity. Here, I'll discuss a few ways you can use the quarantine to your advantage. 

The term "social distancing" has become part of our culture's mainstream lexicon over the past few months, but for the sake of those in eating disorder (ED) recovery (or any mental health issue, for that matter), can we please not call it social distancing anymore? The idea of creating barriers socially between ourselves and other people can exacerbate the sense of isolation or disconnection that many individuals who battle eating disorders are already too familiar with. In fact, experts within the field of public health agree the phrase is harmful and advocate that it be known as "physical distancing" instead.

Ever since my apartment fire at the end of January, I’ve been working with my insurance to get adequate recompense for everything I’ve lost. While I’ve had a mostly good experience, it seems that nobody is spared from at least one insurance horror story, and about a week ago I got mine.

Since last month, many of us have been working remotely from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this has proven that many jobs can be done remotely, there's one major mental health issue that office-goers are facing today: depression.

Nightmares are one of the most common symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While most people experience a nightmare or two in their lifetime, up to 72% of people suffering from PTSD develop recurring nightmares as a result of the disorder. I am one of those people. I started experiencing nightmares as a result of PTSD when I was sixteen. Almost eight years later, I still get them every time I close my eyes to sleep. Coping with daily nightmares (and the poor sleep quality that can result) has been difficult, but I have found ways to manage them over time.

We can build and maintain healthy self-esteem by helping others and earning their gratitude and appreciation. Strong self-esteem comes from believing in our value as a person. One way to feel that we are worthy of self-respect is to be there for others in need.