Content Warning: Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation “Mom, just take me. I’m begging you. I’m not stable.” Words no mother dreams of hearing from their sixteen-year-old child. No amount of planning prepares you to react to this type of request. My teen begged for help, and my world stood still. What happened next? I found strength that ...

Mildred is enjoying her newfound freedom after her divorce from Ray. She hits the dating scene and immediately falls in love again. The tall, handsome Gene Gephardt is amiable and ambitious. He dreams of building an upscale nightclub and restaurant on the outskirts of Granite City. The location? Not too far from St. Louis but ...

Content warning: Depression, therapy It’s insane how one little thing can change your whole perspective on life. For example, I recently received a loaner electric wheelchair from my manufacturer to use while I wait for my new one to arrive. I have learned an important lesson about myself. My independence is too important to me ...

 Hey, I know, I know it’s difficult to get out of bed sometimes. Life has desaturated, it’s uninteresting or overwhelming, perhaps to the point where you look forward in your life and it appears bleak and hopeless. Those meds on the shelf you’ve taken once or twice don’t seem to work, despite what your therapist ...

A friend recently told me that there have never been any consequences to my poor decisions. The thing is, there is always a consequence of any action. My consequence is I have to deal with the fact that I’m not as independent as I was when I first moved here eight years ago. This may ...

Content Warning: Self-harm, mental health I love you. You know exactly how much. I love the skin you roll between your fingers and the dips you wish you could cut away. I love the bruises you trace when you find them. I love the scars you collected, even the ones you gave yourself. I know ...

Trigger warning: alcohol abuse, death/loss, depression They stumbled through the front door. Aria grunted under Camden’s weight again. She had his arm around her shoulders to pull him through the parking lot and to their door. Her neck and shoulders would be in pain the next morning, but this was the best way of getting ...

Have you ever said, “I’m so tired, I could sleep for a week!” Exhaustion seems like a rite of passage in our fast-paced, hustle more, think big society. But what happens when the exhaustion completely takes over? Is it as simple as taking a nap or going to bed an hour early? Overwhelming exhaustion can ...

Grief and loss most profound Teeters on shaking ground Molten rivers of tears Erupt from latent fears Mouth silenced by a mask Pressured to take the vaxx Division, hatred, strife Slowly devalues life Media’s shame and blame Stokes embers into flames As depression taunts Loss of freedom haunts  Our dreams. Photo by Alex Dukhanov on ...