Recently, I was counselling a mother of two whose 16 year old son is using substances and currently not living at home. She talked about her own personal experience with trauma and abuse and how she went through her own substance use in her late adolescence. She looked at me and said, “I have learned … More Everything in Your Life is “D.E.A.L.Able”
Bipolar illness is serious and needs medical attention, effecting about 2.6% of our populations in a given year. But having highs and lows are normal, and even feeling deep lows and very high ‘highs’ is normal. Having a range of emotions is normal and healthy. To read more on Bipolar disorder, see “The 8 Myths … More Having “Highs and Lows” Does Not Mean that You Are Bipolar
What can we do about our stuff? The answer to this question is not easy, nor is it quick. And sometimes there is no answer. There is no prescription for handling all of the stuff that you will face in your recovery or your life. I have found that it is helpful to invest more of my … More Here is What You Can Do If You Feel Bad Because You Are Stuck on Trying to Feel Good
Not everyone needs medication to be well physically, or mentally. Most of your mental health is about things that have little to do with medication. Excerpted from “6 Myths that Can Rob Us of Our Mental Health.” To read the rest of the article, click on the photo. Keep it Real Photo by Andrew Officer
I want to feel it all of the time. So I exercise. I communicate. I work hard. I set goals. I strive to be healthy. I practice acceptance, awareness and openness to what is. But I can’t seem to avoid the pull back to my addiction to feeling good. For full article, “When is Feeling … More I Am Addicted to Feeling Good
“The darkness may never go away, but it won’t always be the same.” Attributed to “Jackie.” We may not be able to change our emotions. Or even our thoughts. But we can learn to change our relationship with our emotions and our thoughts. How has learning about yourself changed how you respond to your thoughts? … More The Darkness May Never Go Away, But it Won’t Always Be the Same
Is mental health only for people with a diagnosis? ___ We exist in the body but we live in our minds? This is an interesting question. Are our bodies merely a container for our minds? Can our minds fully experience life if we did not have our physical selves? Not everyone needs medication to be … More 6 Myths that Can Rob Us of Our Mental Health
Every day your cells regenerate. And your mind never stops growing. That is, unless you get in your own way. How do you get in your own way? I had a friend in college who threw away his textbooks on the day that he graduated. He was planning to become a Minister. I’m glad that … More Are You Getting in the Way of Your Own Growth?
One danger of sitting with our stuff is to get caught inside your head, thinking all of the time instead of doing what you need to do. But realize this one thing: the act of thinking IS action. Action always begins inside. But sometimes we don’t take the time to reflect, we react on impulse. … More If You Are Addicted to the Need to Feel Good, This is What You Can Do About It – Part 2
I grew up living with eyes shut, turned away, turned off, tuned out. The hard stuff does not make me feel good. Being willing to see whatever is there is the hard stuff for me. It means keeping my eyes open. It’s way easier retreating into not seeing stuff. But then the depression hits me, the anxiety, the attention and … More If You Are Addicted to the Need to Feel Good, This is What You Can Do About It – Part 1
Getting High on Recovery 