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SAULT STE. MARIE – Melissa Cutler looks forward to rising these days — that’s perhaps because her future shines a bit more brightly. She does take medication for the mental disorder that’s dogged her since her early teens, and she still receives — albeit, less lately — medical assistance. But things appear to be coming together for the Sault Ste. Marie woman, 21, for whom mental illness has been a constant companion for far too long. “I haven’t been in the hospital for about four months,” Cutler told The Sault Star this week. “I’ve been doing very well.Read More →

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Written by Janet Singer http://ocdtalk.wordpress.com I’ve previously written about recovery avoidance in those with OCD, and how heartbreaking it can be for family and friends to know there is treatment for the disorder, yet their loved ones refuse to commit themselves to it. I’ve talked about how important it is for those with OCD to identify their values, so that the desire to regain the things they hold most dear could hopefully propel them toward recovery. But still, time after time, I hear of those who just can’t bring themselves to embrace treatment.Read More →

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My name is Gabe Howard. I live in Ohio, am married, a hockey fan (go Blue Jackets), a college football fan (go Buckeyes), a couch potato, the life of the party, a home owner, and a pizza connoisseur. I sleep too little, talk too much, and drive my wife mad. I tell her I do it because I like the company. In my late 20s, I was diagnosed with bipolar, anxiety, and panic disorders. Everything changed pretty much overnight. Severe panic attacks, paranoia, and general anxiety sidelined me for a long while costing me a marriage, a career, friends, social status, money, and time.Read More →

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Since publicly disclosing her own struggle with bipolar disorder, Demi Lovato has become an outspoken advocate on mental health and the surrounding stigmas. Her most recent outreach is through a partnership with the Mental Health Listening & Engagement Tour, during which she’ll speak on key issues to raise awareness for those living with mental illnesses. In the introductory video, Demi speaks candidly on her own battle with bipolar disorder. “Bipolar depression really got my life off track,” “but today I am proud to say I am living proof that someone can live, love, and be well with bipolar disorder when they get the education, supportRead More →

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“There is nothing impossible to him who will try.” – Alexander The Great Believing in one’s abilities goes a long way, but it’s taken me over thirty years to arrive in a place where I feel positive about my life and somewhat in control of the thoughts and ideas in my head, which once drove me to bizarre behaviour, destructive tendencies, rages, depression, fear and distrust. Let me start closer to the beginning of this story. I am of Chinese descent and was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1979, I was a shy, impressionable teenager. I began to hear voices outside my home, in theRead More →

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Jim specializes in personal coaching for: Anxiety Disorder Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) Social anxiety disorder (SAD) Panic Disorder (PAD) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Phobias Agoraphobia Depression Sleep Disorder Stress Disorder Interpersonal relationship development, boundaries Esteem building Jim experienced the following disorders and symptoms: All of the anxiety disorders and symptoms listed at our website, with the majority to the extreme intensity and duration.Read More →

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“Shortly after beginning CBT, I was able to discontinue medication and stop seeing a therapist.” An excellent student, a talented singer and musician, a competitive athlete. That’s how I appeared on the outside as a young child, but I felt as though I were trapped in a nightmare that would never end. Years later, and after a lot of hard work, my bad dream is finally over. Fear of Being Alone Growing up, I knew I was different. I lived with my mother and brother. My parents were divorced. My father had left and he never came back. It wasn’t the easiest of circumstances, especiallyRead More →

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In: Anxiety, In The News, Living with Mental Illness, Personal Stories, Supporting a Loved One
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My daughter Ann is 15. We started our long journey with her anxiety when she was 11. At that time, all we knew was that she missed a lot of school. She had stomach aches, headaches, and colds that just never went away. She had trouble sleeping, and worried a lot about whether she understood her assignments completely, or what would happen if she missed a class. She didn’t enjoy school, and although she made friends easily, she seemed to bounce from one close friend to another very quickly. She complained about the boisterous and unruly nature of the classroom, and about the teachers notRead More →

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It is probably the least likely place to expect a catwalk- the home of Canada’s Governor General in Ottawa. But on October 9th, guests such as Federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair, Olympian Clara Hughes and singer Susan Aglukark crowded Rideau Hall for the Mad Couture Catwalk show, an art-meets-fashion-meets-mental health awareness fashion show.Read More →