Raise your hand if you have never failed anything. If you raised your hand, this blog isn't for you. For the rest of us, dealing with setbacks is one of the toughest aspects of mental health recovery. When things seem to be going well, a setback feels almost inevitable. It's like I am anticipating a … Continue reading Handling setbacks
mental health
River in the wasteland
My mental health problems left me in the middle of a barren wasteland with no relief and no hope. Any thought of relief at the time was only a mirage, which would soon dissipate. I had no idea where I was or where I should go and I constantly felt defeated. It’s a strange realization … Continue reading River in the wasteland
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It’s time to be Honest
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that there is a stigma with mental health. I went to school (dropped out and went back) to study child and youth development, and I can figure it out. My question is why? When I was in the stranglehold of OCD, I never really felt shame in … Continue reading It’s time to be Honest
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You don’t have to be perfect
"Back to square one." That was the calling card of my OCD. Every time I felt some relief from a compulsion, every time I thought I had gained some ground in getting my life back, I would step on a mental land mine and it would blow me back to the beginning again. OCD is … Continue reading You don’t have to be perfect
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Compassion for the afflicted
The word compassion has always brought me so much relief. I rode the mental struggle bus for the better part of a decade. Relief was rarely one of the stops. When I did find relief, it was typically from the word compassion. Compassion is seeing the deep seated need of another and being moved in … Continue reading Compassion for the afflicted
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Starve your OCD brain
Have you ever wished your brain had an off-switch? Maybe you have, or maybe know someone who has said this before. I felt this. Sometimes I still do. It would be very convenient to be able to turn your brain off whenever things got too heavy. I felt this especially when I was in the … Continue reading Starve your OCD brain
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Joy in Depression
Depression is such strange topic. How do you talk about something you can't put your finger on? I don't know about you, but my depression feels like an ominous cloud that looms and keeps me from enjoying things fully. I don't choose it. I don't want it there. But it's there. I was talking to … Continue reading Joy in Depression
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Where is God now?
My mom would always tell me that God was going to "redeem the years the locusts had eaten." It was a phrase used to describe the potential that my life, my anxious, OCD-riddled, depressed life, could one day be restored. I would look back at her with tears in my eyes and ask... Where is … Continue reading Where is God now?
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A Series of Moments
I used to get really overwhelmed by the thought of having to go the rest of my life battling OCD and depression. I couldn't even make it through Sunday afternoon! How was I going to make it 60 more years? Turns out I am a bad prophet. My prediction was wildly off. From my … Continue reading A Series of Moments
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A Tree Firmly Planted
If you are anything like me, you find yourself wishing you could turn your brain off at will. Thoughts are running faster than you can count them. And just as you start to feel some peace, you come crashing back to an anxious reality. But, is that supposed to be our reality? For most of … Continue reading A Tree Firmly Planted
Free to be Funk 