As a peer advocate, I learn just as much from the patients as they learn from me. The lessons of "Chapters" really spiked my interest.
Just Another Chapter
Tag: Mental Health
The Rocky Shore of Depression
Depression causes unwanted waves in a peaceful ocean, but the waves will settle eventually and smooth out the rocky shore ahead.
How I Held Myself Back
Life is a time in which we have the opportunity to learn about ourselves. I know for me, I learned the most about myself when I was struggling. However, it took patience, mistakes, and professional guidance for me to understand my faults and turn them into life lessons. With my Anxiety, Depression, and OCD, there [...]
Foggy Futures Will Come into Focus
*TRIGGER WARNING: The topic of suicide is mentioned in this post.* Imagining your future is such a strange phenomenon. Throughout your life, you will imagine many versions of yourself. Many jobs, many houses, and many names for your future children. Life is full of planning for what is yet to come. However, there are many [...]
Get Comfortable with Feeling Uncomfortable
A couple months back I saw this quote online from nOCD. It really hit home and was the perfect reminder that there is no reason to fear my anxiety. In the past, the moment I felt the tingle of anxiety was the moment I would quickly try to shove it away. If the anxiety did not go [...]
Got to Go Through It!
 "We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it!" - Michael Rosen, We're Going On A Bear Hunt. Do you remember the children's book called Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen? It shares the journey of siblings going through the wilderness to hunt a bear. They come across obstacles such [...]
Just Beneath The Surface
It bubbles and boils beneath my skin. It laughs mockingly, knowing my power over it may simply only be temporary. It tingles as it burns through my arteries. It waits in front of the locked door awaiting its triumphant return. He knows the moment he steps through the door; I will be at his mercy. [...]
To Those Who Feel Hollow
To those who feel hollow: you are not alone. I know you hear this constantly. It is repeated in the media. Hotlines are thrown at you left and right. You think, "as if a phone call will be able to fill this emptiness inside me." People say, "I am here for you" but they can't [...]
Welcome, 2018…Forgive The Hesitant Hello.
2017, I’m afraid to say goodbye. You gave me the best year of my entire life. Truly. It was a year of triumph, success, and pay off. I can not thank you enough for showing me what life is truly supposed to feel like. Fifteen years of being chronically sick with my mental illness and [...]
What I Wish People Knew About OCD
It is officially OCD Awareness Week! Yay! To celebrate, I want to address some misconceptions, useful facts, and where you can go if you want to learn more about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Education is key to ending the mental health stigma! First and foremost, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not a "quirk" everyone has. You can not [...]
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