Anxiety is a friend of mine. Friend may not be the right word; we have a love/hate relationship. Why? Anxiety is a liar. The constant thread of information filing through my brain is anything but reliable. Since my anxiety is here to stay, it is my job to see the truth and speak logic into ...

Every organization needs a leader. Fortune 500 companies have a CEO. My family has me. I am mom—the queen of logistics, the finder of lost objects, and the keeper of the schedules. This amazing title comes with a long list of responsibilities and an endless ticker tape of tasks to do. The mental load of ...

February 1, 2023 at 9 a.m. “Where is my wife Stacey?” asks John. Answer: “Stacey is out shopping. You are spending the day with us.” John: “Oh! Okay then. Where can I park myself?” Answer: “Right here on this chair. We will be starting a fun program singing patriotic songs.” John: “Oh! Okay.” 10:00 a.m. ...

A New-Path Last week, I started on medication for anxiety and depression. I never imagined I couldn’t handle it on my own. Life has been pretty good, all things considered. People don’t have homes, or access to food, water, or safe housing. Fortunately, I’ve never been without any basic needs. White privilege and two working ...

Last week, I made the difficult decision to switch mental health providers. I wasn’t getting what I needed out of our sessions. We spent the majority of the time discussing current events and arguing about various things. They liked to tell me things, and I felt like I wasn’t being heard. My love of reading ...

Physical touch is essential to our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When people do not receive any physical contact, their bodies react negatively. Many have never heard of touch starvation, also known as touch deprivation. This condition can occur in anyone because touch starvation happens when you don’t get as much physical touch as you ...

Walking from my car to the door of the elementary school, I think, “My feet are really cold!” Why, you may ask, are my feet so cold this fall afternoon? The answer—I was wearing my slippers! In my rush to get out the door, changing into shoes slipped my mind. Now there are two choices: ...

CW: Therapy, depression, Do you know the point in every romantic comedy when the main character hits rock bottom? They sit in sweatpants, wallowing in their sadness, eating junk food as they cry. For the past few years, I have been a few inches from rock bottom. I started counseling last year to develop better ...