You are not the only one.
A mental health advocate sharing her personal experiences, articles, and resources.
What do 90’s McDonalds’ toys, vintage ceramic rabbits, Lego sets, Star Wars memorabilia, and an enormous amount of Care Bears items all have in common?
They bring me joy… And I don’t care what anyone thinks about it.
Read MoreThere I sat, in a small room, and in walked you, the doctor. I’d shown up to the ER because I was having a mental health crisis.
Read MoreWritten by Curtis Harman
Jesica Neufeld attended a presentation that the Schizophrenia Society's Partnership Program did for National Schizophrenia and Psychosis Awareness Day in May of 2013. The local media was there and interviewed audience members for the evening news. Jesica shared that she loved hearing these stories of recovery and wanted to join the team to share her story of recovery from schizophrenia. She said she could identify with the women and what they went through with their mental illnesses…
Read MoreMy thoughts come at me too quickly, too loudly — it’s as if my mind is shouting. At the same time, my heart is racing and I find it difficult to breathe. I grip onto the kitchen counter to stop myself from falling over.I am no stranger to panic attacks, so I know what is happening, but this time, it feels different. I cannot see an end in sight, which is what prompts me to remember that I need help.
Read MoreThis whole writing is basically a massive spoiler for all things “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Star Wars” in general.
…Understanding that Obi-Wan likely has PTSD is helpful because it portrays what I believe is an important lesson. I have some theories to share, and I promise it all links up. It’s my opinion that when it comes to trauma, a part of what causes so much pain is that it disconnects us from ourselves and others…
Read MoreThere are two questions I often don’t know what to do with.
“Where do you feel that in your body?”
and
“Can you describe that a little more for me?
My reply is typically a shrug of the shoulders.
Read MoreRepetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or rTMS for short, has been around for quite a while. It is a mental health treatment that was developed in 1985. It hasn’t entered into mainstream practice in a lot of places just yet, but it is gaining popularity. Up until 2 years ago, I hadn’t heard of it either.
Read MoreI have lived most of my life thinking that deep breathing (and all its cousins) were something people had, collectively agreed to B.S. about. Not because they were being malicious, but due to some sort of worldwide agreed-upon fiction.
Read MoreTime stops.
My mind is now its’ own universe, everything else is foggy and distant. I feel too many emotions at once. They jumble around, bouncing off each other, competing for the top spot. I’m angry, sad, frightened, ashamed, and confused. I am in the danger of the past. My breathing is slow, almost imperceptible. My chest is tight and I’m running out of air. I feel trapped in place, unable to move. All reminiscent of back then.
Read MoreI opened my eyes and the first thought that popped in my head was: “I do not want to get out of bed.” The classic morning refrain for us countless many. After 40 minutes of arguing with myself, I pushed my way toward my coffee pot. I then dragged out my yoga gear and propped open my computer. “Time for Zoom class,” I dutifully told myself, as I then clicked “join meeting.”
Read More“Ted Lasso” is not a TV show that I would have chosen to watch on my own. In fact, until it was recommended to me, I somehow hadn’t even heard of it. It’s the stuff of delicious irony that I know myself well enough to recognize that even if I had come across this series, I can guess that I would have seen what looks like a goofy sports comedy and said, “pass.” I would have missed out. You see, “Ted Lasso” isn’t really about sports and while it’s certainly silly at times, it’s equally thoughtful.
Read MoreLong ago, I was having a lighthearted argument with my roommate and another friend. Eventually, I found myself feeling fed up, and I moved toward the front door in a semi-annoyed attempt to exit the apartment. By the time I’d gotten there, the two of them had stood up and were jokingly blocking me from leaving.
Read MoreNo matter who you are or what your situation is, making the choice to trust someone new can be a tricky part of life. It’s worth noting that trust does come easier for some, and for others it can be much harder. I personally fall into the second category and I certainly have my reasons as to why trust is difficult for me.
Read MoreYou likely have heard of the term “flashback” before. In reference to mental illness, it generally involves a person having an intense re-experiencing of a past trauma, as though it were presently occurring. In C-PTSD flashbacks may differ in that they do not focus on one particular event or memory…
Read MoreC-PTSD is similar in some regards compared to PTSD, but there are also some pretty big distinctions. These differences matter a lot for a variety of reasons, and I’d like to spend some time with you walking through why these differences matter…
Read MoreI am a mental health advocate, who does a lot of presentations. Often my conversations touch on the topic of stigma toward mental illness. I regularly refer to the language we use when talking about it, and how when compared to other illnesses it is regularly treated shamefully.
Read MoreI’m a mega “Star Wars” nerd. I have major depressive disorder. And the two are positively linked together in my mind.
Read MoreFifteen years ago I was sitting in a therapist’s office, and I was afraid to tell her how I was really doing. She persisted, and over the session, I was able to tell her I was having suicidal thoughts. I didn’t know what this would mean. I was afraid a “white van” would show up and take me away, or that she would get angry or not believe me. None of those things happened.
Read MoreEveryone has bad days at work — a customer is rude, you need to rush to finish a project, you have to skip lunch or some other annoying thing. If this is now and then, only 10 percent of the time, I’d say that is probably OK. Nothing is perfect. However, if you face daily major stresses, you constantly feel devalued and begin and end your day dreading your job, you may be in a toxic situation.
Read MoreImagine this scenario. You’re having an average day, and you’re in the mood for a coffee. You decide to walk over to your favorite coffee shop, just a few short minutes away. Step, step, step. Zap! Step. Zap! Wait, what? Zap? Zap shouldn’t be a part of this equation. This strange sensation is something that happens to me, as well to many others. It’s a side effect of antidepressants that many are not familiar with, but it does happen.
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