Blog
I add NEW blog posts every week! Topics range from personal stories, current events, and new perspectives! I do not wish to share opinions; I only hope to share my thoughts with those who need it.
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“One thing is for sure, this journey is messy. But when we can take a step back we will see that this whole time we have been painting a much larger picture. In some areas, there are bright colors that represent the periods filled with light, splotches of grey that felt numb and lifeless, in other sections we will find the darkness we lived through. But when we see it all together, we can recognize that each color shows the range in which we feel and go through life.”
With the recent passing of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, the topic of Suicide and Mental Illness has taken a front row seat in the news. It is unfortunate that it must take these kinds of extremes to get people talking, but I am a firm believer in these being the kinds of conversations that we need to be having more of. In a world filled with so much suffering, there has got to be a way for us to discuss these kinds of issues. By remaining available, as well as vulnerable, to those closest to us, we can begin creating a ‘safe space’ for those that are desperately just trying to be heard, seen, and felt.
In this post, I share my thoughts on Suicide and I suggest ways that we can ALL get better at when it comes to paying attention to the people in our lives and those around us. Suicide is a dark topic, but we need to know that there can be a light shed on it. We do that by talking about it, reading about it, and doing what we can to understand it to the best of our abilities. This is just my attempt at doing that through my own knowledge, and experience with it.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
It’s #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, and you know what that means…I am going to write about it! Except this time, I am doing things a little differently; I am writing a letter directly to Depression.
If you have spent any part of your life having to overcome the battle of this mental illness, you will understand this letter on a deeper level. If you have never experienced the struggle that is depression, then I urge you to read this letter so you can try to understand. Depression takes on many forms, and it has this cruel way of making everything seem fine to the outside world when in reality, the person suffering is having to fight a constant internal battle.
For me, writing about my own experiences, and sharing the struggles that I face has been a key component in my own mental health recovery. I hope by reading this letter you feel better knowing you are not alone, or you are able to take something away from it so you can empathize with those in your life who do suffer from depression.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
How often do you find yourself doing things that keep you busy, but prevent you from being truly productive? If you are anything like me, you tend to procrastinate even the simplest of tasks as a way to avoid feeling overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities. Keep in mind that I am not writing this because I have the answers, I am writing this because I am guilty of it too. Guilty of what you ask? Of being in my own way.
In this post, I talk about some of the everyday examples where I have kept myself from moving forward. I also share some of the ways I have been able to pull myself out of my self-sabotaging procrastination that can often times, leave me feeling debilitated. This post is for anyone who may struggle to find the balance between what needs to be done, and what we want to accomplish.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
If you have been following my journey at all, you already know that I like to cover the topic of addiction, recovery, and overall well-being. Although my writing dates back from before my ‘Rock Bottom’, Healing Hopefuls was created while I was learning the ropes of recovery, and coming to terms with what lead to my ‘Rock Bottom’ in the first place.
In this post, I wanted to talk about what that term really means, and for those of you that deal with addiction currently, are in active recovery, or know a loved one who suffers, this is for YOU. It’s important to realize that to get better, and remain in recovery, we do NOT have to hit ‘Rock Bottom’ to finally decide to do so. I never claim for it to be easy, but we also do NOT have to wait until it is our only option.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
This week I wanted to do things a little bit differently, and write a letter to, well… you; the one reading this; the one who has somehow found this page. You are a huge part of the reason why I continue to put myself out there, and just by clicking that ‘read more’ button, you are supporting me in more ways than you will ever know.
In this post, I open up in a different way and I get the chance to say how I feel to those of you that are reading this. Every single one of you is a reminder that I am not alone, you are not alone, and together, we can make the world that much better.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
September is National Recovery Month, and when I am given a reason to speak up for those in recovery, you better believe I will jump on the opportunity to do so! This month is all about sharing our stories, spreading awareness, and joining together to increase the understanding of mental and substance use disorders.
In this post, I ask the question, “What does RECOVERY mean to you?” and I share some of the answers I received from a handful of influential people that have helped me in my own journey to recovery. We all have our own stories to share, and our own reasons for recovery, but one thing remains the same: recovery changes lives for the better.
Help me fight the stigma that surrounds mental and substance use disorders!
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
I never thought this day would come, because, like most addicts, I never wanted to admit that I had a problem. Nobody grows up knowing that one-day sobriety will become their fate, nor does anyone plan to self-destruct their way to ‘rock bottom’. But here I am, at day 731, and still choosing to climb up the wall of recovery.
In this post, I talk about the struggles I have faced in my two years of sobriety, as well as the beautiful things I have learned during the process of this lifelong journey. This post is less about sobriety and more about becoming who I was meant to be. Regardless of if you are sober, we are ALL having to heal from something, and this is just a story of my recovery thus far.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
If you didn’t know already, May is the month of Mental Health, and because of this, I decided to start, and end the month with articles both surrounding this topic. It is no surprise that I am not a stranger to my own mental illnesses, but I am here to speak up for those that haven’t figured out a way to talk about their own.
I have never been a fan of using the adjective “Suffering” when it comes to describing how I choose to cope with my own struggles, for I have always thought the word “Surviving” would be more appropriate. We need to stop making it so easy for people to form a stigma around mental health. We need to show the world that we are surviving nonetheless, and we should not be treated any differently.
In this post, I challenge the all too common belief about mental health, and I offer a new perspective for those that may judge what they don’t understand.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.
