I have always believed that there was something wrong with me. I didn’t know what it was—whether it was a learning disorder, ADD, or something else entirely—but I knew something wasn’t quite “right.” Growing up, I excelled in school. Without sounding conceited, I am a fairly intelligent person and a quick learner. Due to my ...

Another day of arctic temperatures, stuck in the house, curtains closed, lights on and the television blaring in the background.  This is the daily living situation in Wisconsin in the dead of winter.  It is that time of the season that cabin fever tends to settle into my life.  As I look around at the ...

Sometimes, I pretend. I pretend to be okay. It feels like it’s easier for everyone else when I do. Grief is awkward and upsetting and ugly, so I understand why it makes people uncomfortable. I really do. So, when you ask if I’m okay, I’d rather lie because I want to spare your feelings. It’s ...

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'”- Eleanor Roosevelt via Brainy Quote. Self-interviewing is an excellent tool for evaluating yourself. You ...

Walking in dark, oblivious to truth, a truth I never knew A truth I thought only existed in the deepest of my dreams One which I thought would never enter the bounds of reality One I was destined never to attain   I had accepted what fate shared, never knowing there was more Settled into ...

Most of us are familiar with PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). Many of us relate it to our veterans after a war, but what is not as widely known is that there is another PTSD, non-combat PTSD. Non-combat PTSD happens when someone experiences some type of trauma. “A trauma is a shocking and dangerous event that ...

Don’t have time to read? No problem! Listen to JL Willing read her article below: Music credit: Ofelia’s Dream-Bensound; Brightly-The Boy and Sister Alma via Filmora   There’s this scene that’s, sort of, seared into my brain. It’s of a girl curled into a ball in the corner of a dark room. Her hair’s a wreck, ...

To the teacher who didn’t care, All I wanted was a chance. A chance to do what I loved. It wasn’t just a hobby to me; it’s what I loved most in the world. By not giving me a chance, you took that away from me. It’s been over 10 years since I quit my ...

With the beginning of the new year upon us, I began thinking of the past year, and all that has happened. 2017 has been a particularly trying one for my family. From the loss of a job to a diagnosis of cancer, it has been hard to remain positive and grateful. I am normally such ...

“That’s the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it’s impossible to ever see the end. The fog is like a cage without a key.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel The winter holiday months are ...