A young woman struggling with an eating disorder, anxiety, and chronic illness finds peace through mindfulness and writing.
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From Fearing Food to Embracing it — Eating Disorder and OCD Recovery in the Kitchen
A cookbook author with an eating disorder and OCD finds recovery in connecting with people through baking.
Chaos Comes to Light — A Therapist’s Life With AuDHD and Eating Disorder Recovery
A therapist with an eating disorder finally finds recovery after realising she has ADHD and autism.
Barefoot Mornings – A Walk to Calm My ADHD Brain
A young woman goes on a walk to clear her mind and cope with her struggles with ADHD and anxiety.
Enough Was Enough – Overcoming a Traumatic Workplace
An obstetric nurse recovers from PTSD after retiring from the relentless medical system.
Overcoming the Trauma of Erasure
For Shumaila Hemani, an immigrant seeking permanent status in Canada, enduring the trauma of erasure is a constant struggle.
Living in Loops: Understanding My Life With OCD
A young woman learns to live a healthy life while compassionately dealing with OCD.
From Wanting to Die to Yearning to Live; in Conversation with Levi Mericle | RDID; 212
As a teen, Levi Mericle wanted to die every day; now he wants to live, and wants to help others.
Out of Addiction and Into The Open
A man breaks his 20-year cocaine addiction with the help of the 12-step program.
Excuse Her While She Obsesses; Unpacking OCD with Manndi Maphies | RDID; 210
Manndi Maphies lives with obsessive compulsive disorder, which flared up after a miscarriage.
A Flight Back to My Truest Self – Recovery from Emetophobia
A young man emerges from isolation and begins to travel again after receiving help for emetophobia and anxiety.
Bipolar, Books, Breakdown; In Conversation with Erika Nichols-Frazer | RDID; 208
Erika Nichols-Frazer, an author with bipolar disorder, talks about her manic MFA and recovery.
A Promise to Keep Choosing Life: Bipolar, Psychosis, and Recovery
A woman decides to find a way to thrive with bipolar and psychosis through art and therapy.
From “Suck It Up” to Speaking Out: My Way Through Panic Disorder and Depression
A young man finds a way to navigate life with panic and depression in a healthy way.
The Healing Power of Self-Witness after Trauma
Melissa Dagenhart lived through an act of violence; her essay is about recovery after trauma.
My Shame: How My Anxiety Keeps Causing Me to Quit
Daniel Gaughan writes about how “my anxiety keeps causing me to quit.”
The Death that Gifted my Purpose; Living (and Writing) with Trauma and Bipolar Disorder
A screenwriter is affected by the death of his young friend while managing his bipolar disorder.
From Shadows to Light: A Teacher’s Journey Through Depression and Anxiety
A teacher with anxiety and depression leaves teaching to become a mental health advocate.
A Vibrant Voice with DID Explores Trauma through Writing | RDID; 123
Elizabeth Devine lives and writes and hopes with dissociative identity disorder.
Changing Your Own Story with Borderline Personality Disorder: For my friends with a highly stigmatized diagnosis
A young woman with borderline personality disorder writes her own narrative, her own way.
Thyroid Cancer and Mental Health; a Med Student Survives
Cancer and mental illness collide in this essay from a medical student in Pakistan.
A Tale of Two Faces: Discovering, Accepting, and Living with Mental Illness
Tiffany North is living with mental illness, and not letting her bipolar disorder define or derail her.
When Faith Hurts: Testimony of an EXvangelical on Religious Trauma
Cassandra Brandt documents her recovery from the religious trauma of her fundamentalist Christian upbringing.
Denial, Deterioration, Despair: Recovering from Anorexia and Bulimia
Lydia Davies’s honest eating disorder recovery story exposes the death-grip of anorexia and bulimia and its impact on her mental health.
Surviving Childhood Abuse & Trauma with Morrene Hauser | RDID; Ep 112
Morrene Hauser is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and trauma, using horses and creative writing to help her heal.
How Three Small Letters, ADD, Changed My Life
Nicci Attfield writes about the attention deficit disorder diagnosis that changed her life for the better.
Thigh Gaps, Epiphanies, and a Coming-of-Age: My Anorexia Story
Shannon Frost Greenstein writes about the epiphany that changed her life and helped her heal from anorexia.
Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder: from National Rugby to Inpatient Hospitalization
Amelia Gordon was going to be a professional athlete until bipolar schizophrenia tried to take away her achievements and her agency.
Mental Illness Comic Uses Humor to Destigmatize Bipolar Disorder
John F. O’Donnell didn’t set out to be a “mental illness comic” but, as a stand-up comedian with bipolar, he’s making it work, and making them laugh.
A College Professor Breaks Mental Health Stigma with Peter Leman | RDID Ep. 106
College professor Peter Leman talks about suicide prevention and mental health in higher education.
I Have OCD; and I Can Never Forget That
For Tyler Mendelsohn, every day comes with the reminder that “I have OCD”, but every day is also unexplainable and magical.
A Christian Mental Health Advocate’s Compassion & Empathy | Katie Dale Ep. 105
Mental health advocate Katie R. Dale openly talks about faith and mental health on our new podcast, Recovery Diaries In Depth.
One More Step: A Professional Soccer Player Confronts His Mental Health Challenges
Elliot Kettle, a professional soccer player, writes about confronting his mental health challenges; emetophobia, agoraphobia, and anxiety.
Invisible Wounds: A Veteran’s Mental Health Journey
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.
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.
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.
Uncovering Hope with Bipolar Disorder
Angela Wise, in her first published essay, writes about living with mental illness and finding hope with bipolar disorder.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Long-Distance Running and Long-Running Depression: An Enduring Partnership
Eleni Stephanides has learned how to run with depression, instead of running from it.
A New Psychiatric RN Faces Her Career, and her own Mental Health
As someone who lives with panic disorder, OCD and anxiety, Caitlin Irish is uniquely positioned to help people as a psychiatric nurse, and uniquely challenged.
Knock, Knock. Who’s There? OCD.
Megan Fisher tried in vain to conceal her OCD behaviors from those closest to her, and therapy wasn’t the magic cure-all, until she found hope and help, compassion and change.
Labeling Abuse in a Borderline Relationship
Two people with borderline personality disorder begin a romantic relationship that quickly becomes toxic, out-of-control, desperate, and dangerous.
Sincerely, Madness: A Marine Confronts Rape and Self-Harm to find Strength and Hope
Being a Marine is supposed to put you through Hell and test your will, but not by subjecting you to rape by two different superior officers. Years later, Joyce Villeta is recovering and living through her trauma.
Coloring Sadness: What We Lose, and Find, in a Psychiatric Hospital
Hospitalized for a major depressive episode, Katie Thomas looked into the eyes of broken people and saw herself.
Falsehoods, Delusions, and Lies: My Life with Schizoaffective Disorder and Anxiety
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.
Why I Ignored a Bipolar Diagnosis in my 20s… and What I Learned in my 30s
Chris Russell, an actor living with bipolar disorder, writes about medication, realizations, acceptance, and managing his mental health.
With Depression, Anxiety, and Lyme Disease; My Dream is Survival
Max Noir lives with anxiety, depression, and chronic lyme disease, but she has not let these conditions diminish her capabilities, limit her travel, or her love of life.
Anxiety: Irrational, Illogical, Catastrophic and, Eventually; Manageable
After silently living with anxiety and panic attacks, therapy and medication helped Nicci Attfield, from South Africa, find her voice.
Even With Depression; I Want a Greedy Life
Living with depression denies you of a lot of things, but Victoria Martinez isn’t about to let her depression take the wheel; she’s in charge.
He Did the Laundry: A Sister Becomes a Suicide Loss Survivor
Lisa’s journey into the world of sibling suicide loss is painful and, ultimately, hopeful and inspiring.
Heart Caretaking: A Mother and Scholar Turns a Corner on Panic and Anxiety
When panic and anxiety come for the accademic, how does she cope? Sarah Barnette shares her recovery story.
Anxiety and Depression; My Two “Best Friends”
Teenager Alex Andrews was well-acquainted with her school’s bathroom floor, where she wrestled with sometimes crippling anxiety and depression.
Why I Tell My University Students I’m Depressed
Peter Leman, a university professor with depression, discloses to his students to help bust the stigma of mental illness on college campuses.
Finding the Way Out of Trauma and Substance Abuse
James Howard’s younger life was dominated by trauma and substance abuse, but today he lives stronger with faith and music as his guides.
Dusk to Darkness; Navigating and Emerging from a World of Self-Harm
Australian Zoe Judd writes with vivid brilliance about her recovery from self-harm behaviors.
44th in the Queue: What Texting the Suicide Lifeline Taught Me about Life, Mental Health, and Toxic Masculinity
When bipolar actor Chris Russell was experiencing suicidal ideation, he called the Lifeline; this is what he learned.
Anxiety and Me (and Maybe You, Too)
Kaci Curtis’s anxiety and panic manifested in obsessive worries and fears. Find out about how this young mother battles her brain every day.
The Night I (almost) Escaped Rehab
Canadian singer-songwriter Skylar Bouchard has long struggled with addiction and self-harm, and his essay is a hopeful ballad to recovery.
My Struggle with Anxiety and Depression Has Been My Greatest Gift
Arielle Kremnev experienced an increase anxiety and depression after the birth of her second child.
I Want to Live, but I Couldn’t Always Say That
After several suicide attempts, Sarah Sharp now writes and lives with a passionate desire to stay alive.
Before and During COVID-19; My Depression Kept Me Moving and Still
The COVID-19 era has shifted and changed Wendy Hahn’s depression, her relationship with her husband, children, and self.
From Full Ride Scholar to Convicted Felon; A Suicide Attempt Changes Everything
Brittany Lopes’s suicide attempt was intended only to harm herself, but it didn’t turn out that way. Read about her journey of healing, redemption, forgiveness, and recovery.
A Flight Attendant with OCD Grounds Herself During COVID-19
Under normal circumstances, being a flight attendant with anxiety and OCD is challenging; with COVID-19, it was next to impossible.
You Have an Illness (Anxiety); Just Not the One You Think You Have
Ben Knight’s anxiety raged to the point where he obsessed over a physical ailment that he never had. Read about his whirlwind journey back to reality.
Not All a Child Needs: Overcoming Suicidality and Depression in Pakistan
Hira Raza shares how culture and parental pressure can impact a child’s mental health, leading to an eating disorder and depression in Pakistan.
Six Days on the Good Unit: Hospitalized and Alive
Casey Cannizzaro is a brilliant writer who lives in a world of addiction and bipolar disorder, both of which he fights every single day, with every breath.
Rosy is the New Bleak; How a Psychotic Break Saved My Life
A sudden move across oceans coupled with a psychotic break isn’t usually what saves a person’s life but, for Josie El Biry, it’s just what she needed.
Letting Myself Go: An Artist’s Struggle with Depression, Addiction, and Suicidality
For the artist named Mederos, physical and psychological pain of depression is inextricably intertwined.
How Does a Doctor with OCD Navigate Life, Career, and the Everyday?
For Rachel Davis, a doctor with OCD, every moment of every day is about managing her symptoms so she can function, live, and thrive.
Suppress it, Survive it – How Unresolved Grief can Lead to Depression
Ananya Sahoo, a young woman from India, tried to suppress depression and place the intense grief from losses in a box; but theses boxes always open.
Where Do Compulsive Exercise and Disordered Eating Lead?
When you are battling an eating disorder, decisions like stand or sit, one cookie or two, are not just benign choices. Emily Kelsall takes us into the world and brain of a woman living struggling with disordered eating and compulsive exercise.
Fighting My Eating Disorder Like a Warrior; Brave and Also Very Scared
Rachel Sellers does battle with anorexia, one of the most deadly mental health challenges, like a warrior: brave and also very scared.