A Secret 35 Years in the Making

by Paul Porter

I now understood that real secrets were lonely. They planted themselves inside of you and expanded, until you felt like that was all you were-a lonely little secret, isolated in your experiences.

Yvonne Woon

This post is dedicated to:

Kristen Abell, whose beautiful Pecha Kucha continues to inspire professionals in our field, and empowered me to write and share these thoughts: I admire you.

The allies of the mental health community—family and loved ones who help ease the feelings of pain, fear, frustration, and anxiety associated with mental illness: I salute you.

The 61.5 million Americans who experience some form of mental illness in a given year: I’m one of you.

Continue reading

How I’ve Learned to Thrive, Not Just Manage

by Sara Ackerson

I’ve become pretty good at getting through each day, actually thriving, and not just managing my illness.  You most likely wouldn’t even know unless I disclosed it to you.  I live with an extrovert personality, a cup of coffee, and a flexible work schedule that allows for me to have dedicated time for my monthly psychiatrist appointments and other self-care without having to ask for sick time off on a regular basis. Continue reading