The Mental Illness Recovery Paradox

Most people think the hardest part of a Mental health crisis is the illness itself. In my case that would entail the acute experience of psychotic depression. And it is often true that acute mental ill health is extraordinarily disorienting and frightening. I wouldn’t wish my previous symptoms of psychotic depression on anyone and they […]

Could Curiosity Be the Best Medicine for Chronic Illness?

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” ~Henry Ford We’ve all been there: happily ticking off life’s checkboxes, certain we’ve cracked the code, until—bam!—life decides otherwise. Divorce papers, layoffs, grief, or unexpected illness—life’s curveballs don’t discriminate. For me, it was a sudden mystery illness at sixteen. What should have been a […]

How to Live a Joy-Filled Life with Chronic Illness

“Living with chronic illness isn’t a life half-lived; it’s an opportunity to redefine what it means to be truly alive, resilient, and whole.” ~Christopher Reynolds I have spent the past eleven years of my life in chronic pain. While this journey has been long, excruciatingly difficult, and deeply lonely, I am beginning to come to peace […]

Break the Cycle of Family Mental Illness

It is hard to understand why some people develop serious Mental health conditions while others do not. Research conducted across many decades has revealed that there is a genetic link to mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Additionally, one in five children has a parent with a serious mental illness. This does […]

Differentiating Mental Health, Illness, and Performance

Mental health, mental illness, and mental performance are distinct concepts that impact the way we think, feel, and behave. They may be correlated to each other, but not always. Understanding and improving Mental health, mental illness, and mental performance can help us live our most healthy and authentic lives. This post will define the concepts […]

Finding Light in the Shadows of an Invisible Illness

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” ~Albert Camus Life has a way of throwing us curve balls when we least expect them. For years, I had been managing the usual ups and downs of life when I was blindsided by a diagnosis that would forever […]