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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a pattern of unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions), which interfere with daily activities and can cause severe stress. You may feel the need to try and stop or ignore the OCD but that will just increase your anxiety.  Eventually you will feel the need to stop the acts the OCD causes which will alleviate the stress.  You will find, eventually, the acts will keep coming back; this is the vicious cycle of OCD.Read More →

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On September 12, 2016, I went to listen to former NHLer Clint Malarchuk speak for the World Suicide Prevention Day. He touched on his medication and drinking, how he mixed the two and how it affected his mental illness, himself, his family and his suicidal thoughts. I do know, from personal experience from loved ones, how important it is NOT to mix alcohol and or drugs and certain medications when you live with a mental illness.Read More →

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Written by Fliss Baker Twitter is a wonderful thing! I’m four thousand miles away and I’m meeting the like-minded. For info I’m a writer, author, volunteer and guest speaker in mental health and I love it. Oh, and I have a diagnosis of bipolar. I receive ongoing professional treatment in an attempt to manage my depressive and manic cycles. I am also in recovery for an eating disorder. It’s important I introduce myself before my illness because as much as it rules my life at times, I will not let it define me.Read More →

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Written by Kelly Risbey http://mentalhealthwarrior.com/ I’ve battled anxiety and depression on and off for almost 20 years. My anxiety started getting bad in high school and I started having panic attacks in my second year of university. This led to my panic disorder diagnosis and my first major battle with anxiety. Trying to manage school, maintain a good GPA, cope with panic attacks that happened during class, deal with endless anxiety issues, find support, and learn how to battle my panic disorder was exhausting, frustrating, terrifying. All I wanted was my life back. I wanted to go to class, take notes, listen to the lecture,Read More →

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Written by: http://www.allinyourhead.co.uk/ When days become your night time and night becomes your day time, unless you are working a permanent night shift, there is a problem. The anxiety/panic had become so bad, I could only sleep when I was surrounded by familiar faces and voices. In my mind, there was theory. I’m a happy person generally, always game for a laugh and a joke , love a giggle and have to see people smile. However, I was having attacks so frequently that my mind was set on the next one being ‘the one’ to finish me. So my thinking was, ‘if it is goingRead More →

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In: Bipolar, Coping Tips, Living with Mental Illness, Personal Stories, Supporting a Loved One
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By Elena Peters thebipolarmaniac.com   In many ways, my marriage is no different than anyone else’s marriage. This is the second marriage for both my husband and I. We both have children from previous marriages. We both have ex-spouses that are still involved in our lives on a daily basis. We have extended families with varied backgrounds, sprinkled all around the world. We have jobs and mortgages and commitments that pull us in all sorts of directions. Just like any other marriage, there are things that bug me! My husband leaves the toilet seat up, doesn’t put the cap back on the toothpaste and leavesRead More →

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by Kurt Cunningham http://www.citizenkurt.net/ I tried to end my life one night after having a wonderful fun-filled evening with friends. It was in November 2012 — I had a plan in place for months. Not one person had any idea what I was planning to do. After a series of life-changing events that began in 2009 and included the closing my once- successful business of nine years, and culminated with the death of my mother in August 2012 life just seemed unbearable to me. My finances were a mess. My health wasn’t great. And I couldn’t make a romantic relationship last more than a fewRead More →

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Written by Anita Levesque Next week, October 5-11, 2014, is Mental Illness Awareness Week. I know this week is important, but has it REALLY been given the attention it deserves in the past? I don’t think so. When I heard the news of Robin Williams and saw the media attention, days and weeks following, it made me sad. Why does it always take the death of a celebrity to build the awareness of mental illness? Mental illness should be a DAILY awareness, not just when something unimaginable occurs.Read More →

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In: Coping Tips, Depression, In The Workplace, Living with Mental Illness, Personal Stories, Supporting a Loved One
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Being broke and having depression go hand-in-hand. I’m really sick of it. Even if money can’t buy happiness, it can buy basic necessities like food and shelter. It’s pretty hard to be happy without those things. I need more money, but my symptoms of depression make finding a job really difficult. While the average person in their twenties focuses on building a resume, I’ve been focused on surviving my depression. Instead of attending post-secondary school, I’ve been in depression treatment, learning about my own experiences and how to cope in everyday life. Living with depression is a full time job.Read More →