Former English soldier Dominic Barrett writes about depression, anxiety, and PTSD as a result of a high stress encounter while on duty, and also an unhealthy relationship.
Lifting The Weight Off My Shoulders: How My Personal Trainer Helped Treat My Mental Illness
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jennifer’s ongoing struggle with Bipolar disorder. As she learned to build structure in her life, her diagnosis too became more manageable. Read her story here!
It Was Cute Until It Wasn’t Anymore – My OCD, Anxiety, and Depression
Kayla Ackelson lives with OCD, anxiety, and depression and is discovering how to manage those challenges while living a multidimensional life.
Another Anxious-Depressing Thought: Am I Turning into My Mom?
Long-time nurse Donna Barnett confronts her anxious and depressed self and thoughts in this thought-provoking essay.
My Very Own Sunshine: Healing from Trauma with Horses
This mental health recovery story focuses on Morrene, who learned to heal her childhood trauma by riding horses. Through horseback riding, Morrene learned to manage her PTSD and heal.
Music is Sanctuary: Navigating Burnout in the Ivy League with the Power of Deep Listening
Shumaila Hemani once found joy and motivation through her musical studies, but when she began pursuing her Ph.D., all she found was mental burnout. Now she’s on a journey to reclaim her faith and love of music once again.
An Anxious, Depressed Illusion of the Mind
Depressed and anxious, Juliet Spanjaardt learned ways to cope with her debilitating stress and the “hanxiety” created by drugs and alcohol.
Waking Up Bipolar: Finding the Right Diagnosis to Begin Healing
by Listen to Executive Director Gabriel Nathan read this post aloud: Today, I am going to share with you my greatest memory, one I live with every day. As a child, I was one of those...
How Changing the Ending to My Mom’s Death Helped Me With the Trauma of It
Loving means losing, and writer Lauren Barrett writes about coping with grief after the death of her mother.
Ketamine Addiction & My Journey Out of the Hole of Depression
Daniel Gaughan tried to climb out of the hole of depression via an addiction to ketamine, and he almost lost himself.
Transforming Struggles into Strengths: Overcoming Anxiety and Finding Purpose
Erin Ullman is a therapist with anxiety and she’s helping others, both as a mental health clinician and as an advocate.
Dopamine, Disability & The Hedonic Treadmill
This mental health recovery story focuses on Cassandra who had a serious accident that left her paralyzed. The accident caused Cassandra to face her life and mental health in a new way. Read more to learn about her journey.
School OCD in Childhood: Portraits of Perfectionism at an Early Age
School OCD is particularly insidious, rewarding overachievement; Daniela Silva found that out the hard way.
Yikes! Company—And My OCD—Are Coming!
This mental health recovery story focuses on Theresa who has managed OCD symptoms since childhood. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing, through OCD and healing.
The Price of Freedom: Living With Borderline Personality Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jaclyn who remained misdiagnosed and misunderstood for years. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing, through trauma, addiction and BPD.
Uncovering Hope with Bipolar Disorder
Angela Wise, in her first published essay, writes about living with mental illness and finding hope with bipolar disorder.
Are You Game to Explore a Gamer’s Physical & Mental Health?
Gamer Mollie Evans writes about the unique challenges presented by Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and how it impacts her physical and mental health.
I Wouldn’t be Where I am Today (or Alive) if it Wasn’t for this one Thing I Did
Highly sensitive person Tree Franklyn writes about being born into the trauma of war and living with depression and deep sadness.
The Moment Everything Clicked: A Story of Unhealed Childhood Trauma
Makayla Hutchison experienced childhood trauma and abuse that has had long-term effects on her mental health.
Overcoming an Eating Disorder During the Pandemic Uncovers Deeper Wounds
Kaley Neal writes about her orthorexia eating disorder and exercise compulsion.
On The Ethics of Mental Health Clinicians With Their Own Diagnoses
Does battling with your own mental health diagnosis make you more or less qualified as a clinician? In this essay, Naomi Kunstler explores that question, and shares the price she paid to offer exemplary clinical service while also battling with depression and a history of self-harm.
Trauma and how the Depressed Brain Pushes us into Social Isolation
The post-college search for interpersonal connection left Eleni Stephanides wondering: “Maybe you’re not someone who was meant for relationships.” This, of course, was a falsehood put forth by her trauma and depression.
Activism and Intentional Living Helped Me Manage My Eco-Anxiety
Julia Tannenbaum advocates for a better, cleaner, lovelier world while managing her eco-anxiety that threatened to derail her activism.
My Grande Mis-Comparison Between Mental Episodes and Abuse
Ashley Marie Berry endured trauma in an abusive relationship, on top of pre-existing mental health challenges and emerged hopeful.
What Five Weeks in a Psychiatric Ward Had to Teach Me
This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif and an experience of psychosis due to a medication change. His mental health shifted and a hospitalization occurred. Read more to learn about his journey with mental health and healing.
Depression, Anxiety and Chronic Mom Guilt: How I Learned my Bipolar Diagnosis
This mental health recovery story focuses on Nadia and her diagnosis process around bipolar. Her mental health plummeted after the birth of her daughter. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
A Creative Mind, Body, and Voice Navigates Bipolar Disorder
Musician, dancer, and artist Casey Calhoun has long struggled with bipolar disorder, and she writes here about her unique recovery process.
How I Cope with the Challenges of Bipolar Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Dancan, who lives with bipolar. He has been unable to receive medication due to the healthcare system within his country. Read more to learn about his journey with mental health and healing.
Breaking Like Glass: A Story of Complex Trauma and Healing
This mental health recovery story focuses on Kiersten, who lives with C-PTSD. Her journey has been one around managing her patterns of activation and learning mechanisms to help her cope with hypervigilance and trauma response. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
A Double-Edged Sword: Facing the Grief of Miscarriage with Bipolar Disorder
Erika Nichols-Frazer writes about recovering from a miscarriage while living with bipolar disorder.
Cultivating Mental Health Self-Awareness with Generalized Anxiety Disorder Recovery
This mental health recovery story focuses on Yasmina, who lives with generalized anxiety disorder. Her journey has been one around managing her patterns of activation and learning mechanisms to help her cope. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
Challenges in Dealing with and Recovering from Bipolar Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Maria, who lives with bipolar disorder. Her journey has been one around managing her shifting moods and building coping mechanisms. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
How Playing Competitive Tennis Helped Me Heal From Anxiety and Depression
Javier Ortega-Araiza, a former competitive youth tennis player with anxiety and depression, shares how tennis helped enhance his mental health.
How I Use The Joy of Soccer To Fight Depression
As a symptom of his depression, Isaac Nunoofio found it difficult to connect with peers for much of his life. It was Ghana’s World Cup run in 2010 that helped him find the joy and interconnection that a soccer fandom has to offer.
Be Informed, Not Afraid: Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Could Save Your Life
Despite the many decades that have passed since “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, many negative myths still persist about ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) for persistent, suicidal depression; Brian Marshall’s essay aims to bust those myths.
My Body and Me: How Depression, Anxiety, and Eating Influence Each Other
For many of her younger years, Amanda Wolf assumed her relationship with food was normal, since no one around her seemed to intervene. Now, she’s learning how to trust herself and take control of her eating habits.
Overcoming Mental Illness Meant Accepting I’m an Introvert
Amanda Nicholson grew up struggling to understand why it was so hard for her to socialize with her peers. In adulthood, she’s learned a new way to think about her introversion: social energy is a finite resource, not a wellspring.
Living and Recovering with Schizoaffective and Autism Disorders
Schizoaffective and autism can be challenging diagnoses to manage; for MJ Van Dyk, therapy has been an essential component to his recovery.
I Don’t Like My Butt! My Eating Disorder Recovery
Theresa waged war on the butt she didn’t like, and the eating disorder that ensued could have cost her life.
Individuating to Find Peace in my Relationship with My Parents
This mental health recovery story focuses on Aditi, who lives with bipolar disorder. Her journey has been one around finding ways to act for herself and not others. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
The Importance of Drawing Boundaries, or, “I Leave at Nine”
This mental health recovery story focuses on Sheila, who lives with bipolar disorder. Her journey has been one around finding ways to advocate for her needs. Read more to learn about her journey with mental health and healing.
Unpacking Emotional Baggage and Helpful Coping Mechanisms
DEI professional Shaquiea Sykes gets tired carrying around all the emotional baggage of depression; in her essay, she talks about setting it down.
Depression for a “Good Indian Boy”? Impossible
Depression in India is still stigmatized, particularly for a “good Indian boy”, for whom little else is more important than academic and professional achievement.
Don’t Project Your Grief. Live it Intensely. How DBT’s Radical Acceptance Helps Me Through My Grief
To move forward in life after the loss of her mother, Daniela Silva had to radically accept the world as it was—a lesson she learned in dialectical behavioral therapy.
After Addiction and Binging; a Man Becomes Human Again
Addiction and binging were the two vices Robert Jackson battled, in order to save himself and preserve his relationship with his young child.
My Destiny is Recovery from Schizophrenia; And So Much More
Jahnavi Elango is coping with schizophrenia to the best of her ability, ensuring that she, not her disease, runs her life.
Integration; My Final Stage of Healing from Dissociative Identity Disorder
Shirley Davis is never alone; there are alters living within her, other beings and voices, the result of her dissociative identity disorder.
Alcoholism and Mental Health: The Tipping Point
Sonia Kahlon used alcohol to cope with her stresses and professional life, but she recognized how it sought to destroy her mental health.
Highs and Lows; Navigating Life with CPTSD
This is the story of Martha Githui, who was diagnosed in 2020 with complex PTSD (CPTSD), which is often the result of repeated, prolonged exposure to traumatic incidents/situations.
Managing Suicidality: How I Have Survived all my Hardest Days
This mental health recovery story focuses on Val, who has experienced suicidality and eventually was diagnosed with BPD and Bipolar. Read more to learn about her journey with psychosis and healing.
Crossing Borders to Confront my Bipolar Disorder
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jenny, who has experienced suicidality, when eventually hospitalized she was faced with a new diagnosis. Read more to learn about her journey with psychosis and healing.
Managing Autism & Solitude
Paul Jordan manages his autism and solitude in unique ways that may help others who are autistic, and/or those who care about them.
The Non-Linear Nature of Eating Disorder Recovery
Erin Jamieson became “good” at counting calories, throwing herself headlong into her eating disorder and then, thankfully, into her eating disorder recovery.
How Throwing Out the Script to My Sleep Routine Helped Cure My Insomnia
This mental health recovery story focuses on Lauren, who was overwhelmed by life and all its challenges fell into patterns of insomnia and anxiety. Read more to learn about her journey.
One of These Things is Not Like the Others: My Surprising OCD Diagnosis and How It’s Helped Me Heal
This mental health recovery story focuses on Jenny, who was overwhelmed by life and teaching the pandemic, began therapy and discovered she has been living with OCD. Read more to learn about her journey.
Bringing Both Feet in – Love & Mental Health
Kavita Sarmah lives with PTSD and believes that therapy and self-work was the key to help her be open to the prospect of love, marriage, and recovery.
Suicidal Ideation, “The Darkness”, and Men’s Mental Health
Jamie Loyer experienced suicidal ideation, was hospitalized and medicated and he is now a peer specialist, helping people like him recover.
What Yoga Taught Me about Depression
Laura Onstot was so overwhelmed and exhausted, she barely realized she was depressed; journaling and yoga helped clear vision.
Finding Self-Love When Surrounded By Abusive Voices
After a childhood in Nigeria where no one would take Precious Minaseidiema’s cries seriously, Precious took stock of all her sources of unhappiness, and did away with the ones she could.
Can Hard Work Can Beat Depression?
Starting mainstream schooling later in life, Jonathan Riley had trouble making friends, speaking publicly, and reading at grade level. All of this piled on with depression meant they had a lot of work ahead of them.
Anxiety, Depression, and Two Heavy Whiteboards
While studying astrophysics in Edinburgh, Violet Piper was besieged by depression, anxiety, and thoughts of harming herself.
Corporal Punishment as a Barrier to Intimacy, Letting go of Shame
Corporal punishment is falling out of fashion, thankfully, for Jacques Damhuis writes beautifully about its long-lasting, damaging impact.
Is There Life After Diagnosis: Finding Myself after Learning I Have Bipolar
This mental health recovery story focuses on Alexis’s journey with bipolar and how she learned to manage her mental health without making it who she is entirely.
Family Emergency Prompts OCD Coping Skills
This mental health recovery story focuses on Marilyn’s journey with OCD during a family emergency. Marilyn was able to establish coping mechanisms that helped her to heal, read more here!
A Golf Pro Recovers from Bipolar Disorder
Former pro golfer Don Walin writes openly about his bipolar disorder, including some of his manic episodes during his life and career.
Once Blessed; Still Strong: My Life with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
On Christmas, a young man with obsessive compulsive disorder reflects on his mental health, his life, and what is yet to come.
Who Will I be When I Wake up? A Bipolar Journey
Kelly Schermerhorn, who lives with bipolar disorder, doesn’t count sheep to get to sleep; she plays baseball with Jesus to help keep her brain rested and healthy.
The Plight of the One-Person Mental Health Support System
As the daughter of a victim of sexual abuse, Elizabeth Devine has had to endure her own trauma as well as take on the traumatic experiences of others; today she writes about her own challenges.
Holding on to Keep from Crashing
Living with anxiety and working as a housekeeper in a nursing home, Veronica L. Asay keeps herself together as best she can, pushing her cart, holding on for dear life.
Vivid Memories of My Recovery Journey with Anxiety and Schizoaffective Disorder (Part 2)
Living with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety, Leif Gregersen was hospitalized numerous times. Now he is a compassionate and vocal advocate for those in need of a voice.
Vivid Memories of My Recovery Journey with Anxiety and Schizoaffective Disorder (Part 1)
Living with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety, Leif Gregersen was hospitalized numerous times. Now he is a compassionate and vocal advocate for those in need of a voice.
Victory Over Suicidal Tendencies: Fostering the Human Connection
This mental health recovery story focuses on Amy’s journey with intergenerational trauma, suicidality and addiction. Amy eventually found support that helped her to heal, read more here!
How a 17-year-old Struggled with Thanatophobia and Learned to Accept and Recover
Lots of people are scared of death, but having thanatophobia—a clinical, often crippling fear of death—is quite different than what most people experience. Join Sibgha Akbar as she writes about recovering and accepting; all at the age of 17.
Following Childhood & Adult Suicide Attempts: A Vow to Get Better
Like so many people who try to take their own lives, Sandra Stevens came from trauma; wishing she had never been born. She took many steps to achieve the desire to stay in this world; this is her story.
How Modern Schizophrenia Treatment Steals Our Autonomy
Sarah Myers understands her schizophrenia. That is, she challenges it with logic, and develops healthy coping mechanisms to respond to her symptoms. In Sarah’s opinion, this is more than the medical industry can claim.
“What’s Wrong with You?” — the Question Trauma Asks
For his whole life, Jacques Damhuis was confronted with, “What’s wrong with you?” After decades of self-discovery, and some EMDR, he is learning that the answer is “nothing.”
What Reason Do I Have to be Depressed?
Eleni Stephanides was skeptical that going back on antidepressants would help, but she soon felt the clouds lift, and her vitality return.
Was I the Black Sheep? Discovering, Understanding and Healing my Trauma and CPTSD
This mental health recovery story focuses on Ana’s journey with Complex PTSD, and intergenerational trauma. Ana eventually cut ties with family to begin her healing journey. Read to learn more about how Ana learned to ask for help and recover from trauma.
What I Learned Socializing With The “Insane” in Psychiatric Units
As Max Guttman puts it, there is little to do in psych hospitals except pace the hallway and swallow pills. The most worthwhile way to spend his time, then, was hearing his neighbors’ stories.
Social Media – Recovering from the Drug Addiction of the Nation
Jason Schreurs would sit with his eyes bloodshot against the computer screen late into the night, forging connections on social media. Eventually, this obsession put him in the hospital.
Looking Down – The Mental Health Impact of Vision Loss
The mental health impact of sudden vision loss can be dramatic, as Christopher Dale explores in this essay.
Shiny Rocks; OCD is Always in My Pocket, Even all Grown Up
Megan Fisher wonders whether or not there is room in her life, and in people’s minds, for the child she was, with OCD, and the adult she is, with OCD.
Surviving Suicidality to Live in a Wonderful World
Javier Ortega-Araiza was feeling suicidal, and it wasn’t the first time that happened. His essay talks about his mental health recovery.
Back on Track: Recovering from Mental Illness and Addiction
After ten years of fighting a wrenching addiction to heroin, Stacey Anne Quin is winning herself back from the brink of mental illness and addiction.
Throw Pillows and Coffee Mugs: Accoutrements of Trauma, Abuse, and Recovery
Alan Caldwell has been collecting stories about his history of abuse and trauma and family for years, but only recently begun writing them down.
Losing Her Saved Me: How I Healed From Trauma
This mental health recovery story focuses on Amanda’s journey with OCD, Anorexia, Complex PTSD, trauma and grooming. Amanda had to cut off her mother in order to heal. Read to learn more about how Amanda learned to ask for help and recover from trauma.
Bipolar Disorder, Independence, and Living in the 21st Century as a 20th Century Woman
Lena Walton was always shushed by society—no talking about her undiagnosed bipolar disorder, nor about independence as a woman. Only now, following a breakdown, is Lena finally beginning to understand herself.
For this African American Man; there is Light, Even with Bipolar Schizophrenia
Men in the Black community are viewed as weak if they seek mental health treatment, but Derrick McQueen, a Black man with bipolar schizophrenia, didn’t let stigma stop him from getting help.
Excuse Me While I Obsess: Learning to Manage my Lifelong Struggle with OCD
This mental health recovery story focuses on Manndi’s journey with OCD. Manndi always struggled with symptoms but when she suffered from a miscarriage her OCD tendencies spiraled out of control. Read to learn more about how Manndi learned to ask for help and recover.
How I Learned I had Bipolar Disorder, or, “The Unpleasantness”
Sheila O’Shea triumphantly shouted, “I called it!” when she was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder II; a mental health diagnosis she always kind of knew she had.
Overcoming My Teenage Traumas Allowed Me to Find Freedom in My Twenties
Julia Tannenbaum’s adolescence was taken from her by a series of teenage traumas and mental health challenges; but she is only looking forward as she thrives in her twenties.
We’ll Leave The Gaslight on For You
This mental health recovery story focuses on Lindsey’s journey through abuse and childhood trauma, gaslighting, and hospitalizations, where Lindsey learned to trust her intuition and find practices around caring for herself. Read more in this mental health essay!
From Manic Insights to a Holistic Truth; Moving Towards Healing with Bipolar Disorder
Alexis Zinkerman writes about the intersectionality between bipolar disorder, spirituality, and creativity.
PTSD: The Unlikely Disease that Brought my Father and I Together
Carissa Chesanek’s father experienced undiagnosed PTSD from his experience in Vietnam. His daughter never went to war, but was diagnosed with the same illness.
Life Has Become Wonderful: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (PART 2 OF 2)
This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif’s journey through hospitals, homelessness, and diagnosis. Leif learned to advocate for himself and now finds ways to do so for others. Read more in this two-part essay!
Life Has Become Wonderful: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (PART 1 OF 2)
This mental health recovery story focuses on Leif’s journey through hospitals, homelessness, and diagnosis. Leif learned to advocate for himself and now finds ways to do so for others. Read more in this two-part essay!
Anxiety’s Magical Little Pill
Taking “a magic little pill” to help cope with her sometimes debilitating anxiety had serious limitations and, eventually, Maria realized she needed more help.
Lies Mania has Told Me
Bipolar mania told Erika Nichols-Frazer that sex was love, that Stephen Colbert and John Oliver would want to interview her, and that gibberish was genius; these are the lies mania told her.
Decades-long Relationship with Therapist Truly a Gift
Brian Marshall has seen the same therapist for decades, and his relationship with her has been a key element to his recovery from depression.
All The Colors Of Me Only Some Will See: Relearning to Love Your Body After a Trauma
Anne Marie Malloy had trouble loving who she saw in the mirror after facing childhood trauma, so she’s reclaimed control over self-identity with piercings, Doc Martens, and a rebellious attitude to match.