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Discovering meaning during midlife can seem like a challenge. Faced with uncertainty about the future and the feeling of having spent years working without achieving anything significant, how can we avoid discontentment, nurture a positive mindset, and turn midlife into a transformative journey? Here's how I found meaning in midlife.
Somewhere along the way, the political correctness (PC) police decided that we were no longer allowed to say that we "suffer" from bipolar disorder. Now, we have to say that we "live with" or "experience" bipolar disorder. If you know me, you can probably guess how I feel about that. I feel it's ridiculous. It puts unnecessary rules on language, which, as a writer, I despise, but perhaps more importantly, it genuinely denies people's legitimate experience of a serious mental illness. I suffer from bipolar disorder, and I think it's okay to say it.
My psychiatric nurse practitioner is reducing my anti-anxiety medication for my upcoming knee surgery when I will be on painkillers. She says long-term use of an anti-anxiety medication can cause cognitive impairment. My therapist says it’s addictive, which I already knew from decades of using it on an as-needed basis. Here's what reducing my anti-anxiety medication has been like.
Anytime a relationship includes verbal abuse, there are complications. The dynamics between individuals involving power and respect will skew, making it challenging to recover. Although some relationships can bounce back using therapy and adjusting to corrective behaviors, others will not. Relationships with verbal abusers will always be challenging.
Anxiety can be related to the season. When I was younger, I remember that when summer started to turn into fall, the days ended, and nights started earlier, and the weather began to get cooler, I would experience a change in my mood that I now recognize was related to my anxiety. I would often find that I felt down and unsettled, and this overall feeling of discomfort that I sometimes couldn't attribute to anything in particular. I didn't realize that the season changes contributed to my anxiety.
"Live one day at a time" is one of my mantras in life. As an individual diagnosed with mental illness (double depression and generalized anxiety disorder), it is harder for me than people without mental illness to live by this mantra. Here's why living one day at a time is hard for people with mental illness.
Admitting that I miss my manic symptoms has been difficult. A large part of my mental illness recovery has been fueled by the desire to get better. I continuously work towards recovery, but I still face guilt when I find myself missing the symptoms experienced from my manic episodes as someone with bipolar disorder.
Mental health stigma can affect one's self-esteem. Mental health conditions are a common yet often misunderstood aspect of human life. Despite their prevalence, the stigma attached to these conditions remains a formidable obstacle for those who bear such diagnoses. Negative stereotypes, discrimination, and social isolation experienced by individuals with mental health diagnoses can severely affect their self-esteem. In this post, we will explore the practice of defying the stigma surrounding mental health, emphasizing its role in nurturing self-esteem in those who carry such labels. 
Feeling safe after enduring trauma or developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD) can be a challenge. Growing up, I had a persistent uneasy feeling in my gut that manifested as a constant stomach ache. After being sexually assaulted by another (though older) child, I found myself unable to feel at ease in my own body. I worried not only about my personal safety but also my family's — especially since the boy threatened to hurt me and my loved ones if I told anyone what he did to me. Feeling safe with PTSD turned out to be very hard.
There is a specific psychology to gambling addiction. Millions of people worldwide grapple with gambling addiction and its profound impact on their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Over time, many things have been explored as causes of gambling and what makes it addictive. As someone who has battled this addiction, I looked into the psychological side of things, covering everything from cognitive biases to genetics and heredity.

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Vision
Hello im not sure if i have DID, just did my research and now im very unsure, because i experienced something that sounds like DID but could be my imagination. I dont remember any trauma or im not sure what counts as trauma to develop DID, like i said i experience something like voices or some feeling as if there is somebody or if its mood swings, i dont know. I cant really say if its DID i sometimes have intrusive thoughts or some songs that loop in my head or i have a comment in my head, i would like to read an answer on my comment but i dont know if i will see it on this page so maybe someone can answer me through my email: j.sudermann92@gmail.com
Ray
The comment about not believeing a person can be raped in a partner relationship is horrible, the guys whole comment is one for the Manosphere. Imagine thinking the only way to be raped in the context of a romantic relationship is to have a knife to ones throat.
Mary
As others have commented, it feels good to realize I’m not alone in my lifelong sensitivity to sound. Especially the persistent drones and hums of mechanical/electronic noise (air conditioners, heavy traffic etc) loud/amplified noise (souped up cars/motorcycles, excessive volume of amplified music etc).
Truly (no pun): I hear you!!
It makes it physically, emotionally and mentally stressful at times to have to endure the daily cacophony of an urban life.
Yet, my noise sensitivity (that it seems few people around me have) is also a sweet gift!
I notice the sweet subtle sounds in nature. Like the sound of the breeze moving through the dune grasses near the beach on a quiet day; or the lovely sounds the surf makes on a rocky shore. A very different sound as a wave crashes on the shore, compared to the music of the retreating wave trickling back through the beach stones.
The world has so much beautiful sound. But like a good composition, silence is also needed, the pauses, (or simply lack of audio clashing/competition,etc) in order to experience the beauty.

Personally I feel that folks like us are a bit like “canaries in a mine.” Just because many people aren’t as aware of the assault on their senses and mood, doesn’t mean it’s not affecting them. It would make neighborhoods and cities far more liveable and enjoyable if the idea of decibel limits were dialled down.
T S
My son is now 14 I am a single mother I have been for most of it. I have lost everything and I don't know what to do anymore I've done everything by the book through the schools Etc since he was in preschool the school is failing he's not in therapy no more because he just refuses to go he's too big I have no one anymore nothing I have cried at the hospitals when we've had to go to the ER to the police I called DCs on myself to try to get help and they did not help me they refuse. I can't do it anymore
A
Hello, I’m A and i’ve been doing SH for about a year now. I am 12 years old and started the winter after I turned 11. I still ask myself, was it because of some feeling that I can’t describe? Self hatred? Why did I do it, so many people struggle so much worse than me. I always cut myself logically, which means basically in a spot that no one would see. My parents are extremely invasive of privacy so I still wanted to have a way to cope ( SH ) and or suffer alone. Yet recently, I completely lost control of myself and felt such guilt and self hatred that I just started going off on my arms with a face razor. I didn’t realise the problem until later which was: white, thing and long lines across my arms. It is winter right now so I can wear shirts covering my arms but I just can’t stop thinking about the summer, what am I supposed to do? Keep in mind I am darker toned so the long and thin white scarring is pretty visible, very visible. I tried covering it up with makeup but it just doesn’t work. I’ve tried different creams but it doesn’t work, I tried icing it, doesn’t work. Im so scared, Im so so scared.