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I'm writing this just a few minutes removed from a morning run, which I hated almost every second. I'm not like the runners you see in the movies who gracefully jog with their camera-ready smiles; my face is usually fixed in a mask of focused despair, disguising not at all how distasteful I find the whole situation. This run was no different—my feet hurt, my heart pounded quicker than it wanted to, and my respiration struggled to keep pace. In short, the run absolutely, unmistakably, irrevocably sucked. It was exactly what I'd hoped for. I was hoping to increase my distress tolerance.
Being the victim of verbal abuse can create vulnerabilities in several areas of life. I know that I still experience negative feelings of vulnerability even though I am no longer in an abusive situation. Thankfully, I am learning how to properly be vulnerable without making myself a target for further abuse.
Terminal uniqueness is a concept I first learned about in eating disorder residential treatment. At the time, my restless, irritable teenage brain had no interest in the phrase. But over the years since, I've come to realize that terminal uniqueness is a common barrier to eating disorder recovery. In fact, it's not a unique or rare phenomenon at all—ironically enough. So what does terminal uniqueness mean, and how can it affect recovery? Let's unpack this further.
If you hurt yourself when you fail at something, know you're not alone. Other people, myself included, have struggled with this urge—and have since found better ways to cope.
This week, "Snap Out of It!" talks to lawyer Julia Stephanides. She schools us on the rights people with mental illness have at work and how you can use those rights to better navigate working with a mental illness.
When some people read about those of us dealing with the effects of schizophrenia, they feel the same way I do about some other chronic illnesses. How can we find joy when we can't trust our minds? How do we function when we have to go through psychosis or stay at a psychiatric hospital or treatment facility? How do we go on when we hear voices or have paranoia or delusions of one form or another? How do we form relationships, go to school, or, if we are fortunate, go to work? 
I've been leaning into the practice of mindfulness lately, and the daily practice is helping me learn to accept my life situation at this moment as it is. Mindfulness helps me stay focused on what matters to me instead of slipping into eating disorder behavior when I am feeling sad, afraid, or angry. Mindfulness is helping me through binge eating disorder recovery.
I've been flitting in and out of a bipolar mixed mood for a while now, which leaves me trying to find the cause of my bipolar mixed mood. This is no mean feat. So many things can impact a bipolar mood state that narrowing it down to a single mixed mood cause is pretty tricky.
Death is coming for us all. I don't mean that to be threatening; I mean it to be relieving. Encouraging. Enlightening.
One concept that’s helped me a lot in recovery from mental illness is this: recovery is not linear. It seems simple, but understanding this helps me be aware that the recovery process may have peaks and valleys. It also helps me be aware of the changes that bring on peaks and valleys, like big life changes.

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Comments

Heather
Have u looked up narssisst

I found out that is what mine is 11 years into the marriage!!
Bree
Hi, I have long scars (six-seven inches long or so) reaching from the middle of my hand down my wrist. I've been trying to wear a hoodie to cover them up, but now it's summer, and I don't own any long sleeve shirts because I don't like to wear them. I've tried wearing bracelets and watches, but the scars go too high on my hand. Do you have any ideas for me?

thanks!
Carole Sustin
My two daughters are a year apart at 14 and 15.They both are into boys now and as a mom,i feel it is my duty to protect their purity and innocence.For special occasions i require them to wear rubberpants under their dresses to prevent them from wanting to fool around when they are going to be around boys.They have to wear them for weddings,special church events,Easter,and any other special occasion.Having them wear the rubberpants is very effective and so far they have not become sexually active.I recommend other moms to use rubberpants on their tee girls to protect their purity and innocence!
Chrissy M.
To Hannah Kolter-I to was a puberty bedwetter and like you,wore the cloth diapers and rubberpants to bed every night untill past 15.My younger brother thought it was a 'hoot' that i was in diapers and rubberpants at night! My abuse started at 13 when i was the flowergirl in my niece's wedding.I wore a white sleeveless,poofy,above the knees flowergirl dress with a veil,lace anklets and white shoes.Mom put my diapers and rubberpants on me,telling me they would make me feel cuter and more little girlish for my role as flowergirl!During the wedding dance,an 18 year old guy asked me to dance with him so i did and he started talking to me and told me how cute i looked.After a while,he took me to a class room and told me he wanted to be alone with me and talk.Soon one thing led to another,and he put his hand under my dress and felt my diapers and rubberpants and he got very aroused!He got me to my knees and made me give him oral sex which i had never done before! The next year when i was 14,i did my 8th grade confirmation and us girls had to wear white dresses and veils with tights and white shoes.Mom put the diapers and rubberpants on me again under the tights.A male cousin who came to my party,kept eyeing me,and he saw the diapers and rubberpants under my tights when mom lifted up my dress and showed them to a friend of mine! He got me alone down in our basement and put his hand on the back of my tights and rubbed his hand over the back.He tried to get me to my knees to give him oral sex,but i refused.I finially stopped my bedwetting past 15 and was happy to be out of the diapers and rubberpants!
Crystal, LCSW
Social workers can earn a Doctorate of Social Work degree, so that and other information in this article is incorrect. I have an MSW and I’m a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). I own a private practice and diagnose and treat mental illnesses, not just provide resources. When writing articles such as this to “educate” the public it would be helpful to do extensive research to ensure the information is accurate.