The following poem was written by my friend H.D. We’ve been friends for 8 years. He’s currently being held in a state psychiatric facility. Hopefully soon he’ll be released and be able to take the stage and share his story. Until then, I’m sharing his poem. I found it incredibly insightful. Anyone who lives with or has a loved who has bipolar, PTSD and/or struggles with addiction this poem will resonate. My life is so contradictory it is as if it has been lived in reverse My life is so ironic I wouldn’t be surprised if I was born in a hearse My Life is having a slice of the American dream, a s ..read more

Imagine you’re the hero in one of your favorite movies. In a hero’s journey the character sets out from his home to learn, grow and “get beat up” from life experiences. The hero faces villains along the way and overcomes many obstacles. The hero then comes home and helps everyone around him. The Pandemic has made us all travel the hero’s journey. It’s never one filled with all happiness or sadness, but generally a struggle ensues. One that causes stress, pain and some level of suffering. Maybe it’s disappointments from events being canceled. Maybe it’s loneliness taken to a whole new level. Wh ..read more

There are many reasons why COVID-19 has impacted mental health. I believe if you were to ask most people if this year has been a difficult year generally speaking they would say absolutely. Before we even were thrust into a life altering upheaval of our daily lives, mental health challenges and substance use disorder was a public health crisis. In six years as a mental health advocate I have heard from over 100 people who were seeking information, support and sometimes advice for how to get help for themselves and/or family members. As I embarked on attempting to help others with all I had lea ..read more

I was giving a virtual talk last week about older adults mental health when one of the participants ask an insightful question about depression and grief. It was along the lines of how do I know when to encourage someone to get professional help for grief. My answer was when it interferes with daily activities, relationships and going to work or school. When it becomes so overwhelming a person could benefit from some professional help in coping with intense emotions. So, how do I even know anything about grief and depression? Because I have experienced both very intensely. Because I have studi ..read more

The first pandemic in nearly a century. It’s a disaster on steroids. It has changed our daily lives. In some ways there has been some positive things that have happened. But sometimes I think those of us who try really hard to find hope in every situation look deeply to turn something extraordinarily troubling into a search for meaning and purpose. No doubt this is a stressful situation for almost everyone. There’s always an outlier. Stressful situations can trigger underlying mental health conditions. It can also cause an episode of depression or increase anxiety. In my case, having bipolar d ..read more

We can’t change, evolve, and grow if we don’t have knowledge. There are many places to find information these days, but the key is connecting to positive and trustworthy sources of information. Bad information from unworthy sources can divert us from our life path and if we aren’t careful cause almost irreparable harm. I began my true Wellness Journey 12 years ago. There were always challenges and setbacks for me, but in 2008 my world as I knew it collapsed. I entered a period of deep physical, emotional and spiritual challenge as I had never experienced before. There were several catalysts th ..read more

I’m re-reading a book called “No Mud, No Lotus” by Thich Nhat Hanh. My dear friend Bill gave me the book a few years ago. I was in a different place in my healing journey, so the information I was processing about suffering, happiness, acceptance and many other wonderful life lessons is received very different today. I’m reminded healing takes time. I loved reading about how powerful staying in the present moment is. Especially striking was not allowing the ghosts of our pasts to victimize us in the present. Though I may have had suffering I don’t have to keep reliving it. I’ve learned to acce ..read more

The brain likes certainty, predictability and structure. Those things keep our stress response system from being activated. In the middle of a Pandemic all bets are off. If you’ve never had anxiety before and all the sudden find yourself worrying about everything, there’s a good chance you are not alone. Racing thoughts keeping you up at night? Unfounded fears multiplying? Sitting alone in your car on a drive home from work, where you are deemed an “essential worker” and have been working non-stop since all of the lock downs started, suddenly you feel your chest tighten, your grasping for your ..read more

You’re driving down a road and suddenly see a sign indicating a sharp turn. Do you slow down? If you don’t you risk going over a steep cliff. It doesn’t mean you “will” go over the cliff…it’s importantly a warning sign to prevent an accident or death. I’ve been a person in the past who ignored the warning signs for my mental health. At almost every turn I went off a steep cliff, nearly resulting in a pre-mature death while lost in the wilderness during a psychotic episode. I don’t recommend ignoring the warning signs. The one major warning sign for all mental health conditions (a.k.a. – mental ..read more

This really struck me today. Feeling grateful. Purplerays Be thankful for it all. The highs. The lows. The blessings. The lessons. The comebacks. The Love. The hate. Everything. Text and image Credit: Spiritual Awakenings https://www.facebook.com/105433989565465/posts/2836179633157540/ View original post ..read more