Feel like it’s impossible to make friends that treat you well? Partners that respect you as a person? Maybe you find yourself always in relationships that end up turning out poorly. How to make friends that truly love us can feel elusive when we have a mental illness. It’s possible, though, and sometimes our loneliness is the gateway to these loving friendships. I used to think loneliness was a sign I was doing something wrong. That...
Have you ever lashed out at someone you love for no reason? Have you ever felt so exhausted that you hoped you’d sleep forever? That life was too overwhelming to want to keep going? These all have one cause: emotional burnout. And it can be avoided and handled well, without putting you or your relationships at risk. Emotional burnout is a serious thing. It’s complete and total emotional exhaustion. When we’ve used up all our reserves,...
There is one thing I wish I could make you believe, instantly upon reading this: You matter. You do not have a meaningless life. Your life is filled with purpose, potential, and expanse. When times are tough, it can feel like life is just a series of distractions. Obstacles we have to run around and climb over. Over time, we can start to dread this—it can feel like a never-ending and exhausting game. It can...
Life offers us amazing experiences. And yet, despite all the beauty around us, so many of us numb ourselves from it. We protect ourselves from our pain when we do this, but we also make it harder to live life to the fullest. So how do we balance this? How do we feel deeply and vividly without overwhelming ourselves with pain? Emotional numbness and dissociation are protective mechanisms. They’re intentionally shielding us from pains in the past...
Life can be hard. The things we experience can tear us down. Feeling broken after experiencing trauma is not rare, in fact, it’s all too common. The recovery and the illnesses we face after are not easy to live with—it can truly feel like the trauma damaged us. I know this is tough to experience. I have been there, I have felt that confusion and pain and struggle. But I want you to remember this: You are...
We all want to be that person who brings joy into our relationships. We all want to uplift others and bring peace to the world around us. Yet, for those of us who have survived trauma or live with a mental illness, being optimistic after such difficult situations can feel nearly impossible. I am here today to share with you that it is not impossible. You can have a bright and positive outlook on the...
You are not a burden for being mentally ill. There is nothing wrong with having a disorder, a sickness, or an illness. Having mental health needs is absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Every single person on this planet has needs. Every single person struggles and you have a right to struggle too. Even if your needs come up a little more often than your peers because you have a mental illness, that’s okay. You’re not...
Wish you could instantly stop an oncoming anxiety attack? Fortunately for all of us with anxiety disorders, there are powerful ways we can use our body’s biology to stop anxiety. I’ve saved myself from many panic attacks with these techniques. Your body is a powerful and capable entity. It gives you the ability to rush into flight or fight mode when threatened and this response—which evolved over millions of years—is something that can save your...
This single trick can help you take some of your most critical thoughts and use them to grow faster, better, and stronger. All it takes is a little mental reframing. So, what is this cool thing? It’s that positive and negative thoughts are a myth. Every single thought has a purpose. It has something it can teach us, show us, or help us heal. We can have feel-good thoughts or thoughts that hurt, but this doesn’t...
Being a victim is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Victimhood means you have lived through and are overcoming abuse, day in and day out. That’s strength, not weakness. And yet, despite the strength us survivors have, we often feel powerless. I remember thinking I would feel empowered after overcoming abuse, only to have the opposite happen. Instead, I was faced with debilitating mental illnesses and a long road to recovery. I thought I’d lost my...