By Dana - Migraines can take center stage in our lives at any time. It happened to me fifteen years ago, during a very rough period in my personal life. On that November 16th, my father died. On that December 27th, my husband and I were in a car accident. On the following January 9th, … Continue reading Pain Diaries: Thank God For Dresden
By María - The festivities are here! Wait a moment. Is that a good or a bad thing? It probably depends on the person and the circumstances. Holidays are meant to be celebrated. They are supposed to bring people together. The season invites us to be joyful and merry. Getting together with beloved friends and … Continue reading Yoga Tips for Surviving the Holidays
By Wanda - I was pretty young when the differences in thought patterns made themselves evident. It was maybe third grade when depression made itself evident in my life; the anxiety had always been with me. By sixth grade the trouble was evident enough that my family talked to the doctor, the pastor, and was … Continue reading World Mental Health Day: What it Means to Me
By Mary (Guest Writer) - I was scrolling through my Youtube feed when I came across a video by that title. My heart skipped a beat. “Will I watch it or keep scrolling down?” I asked myself. But deep down, I wanted to watch it for 2 reasons -- I was also diagnosed with a mental … Continue reading People Share Secrets About Their Mental Health Journey
By Jeannette - There are many causes of chronic pain--an accident or injury, inflammatory or neurological condition--but no matter the cause, chronic pain impacts our emotions. There is an intersection between physical pain and emotional well being. It is important to discuss this interplay, as well as strategies to address these difficult emotions to improve … Continue reading The Emotional Rollercoaster of Living with Chronic Pain
By Brittany - Do you ever find yourself thinking “what if…”? Creating scenarios in your brain of what will happen if you get better? Or scarier yet, if you don’t get better? What if it’s all too much? What if you lost it all? What if your burden is too much for you to carry … Continue reading The Importance of Being Honest with Where You Are in Life
By Alexandria - "You're getting a migraine, aren't you?" said my physician last year during one of my regular visits. "If you were pulled over, a policeman would think you were drunk or on drugs. If you were taken to a hospital, they would think you were having a stroke. Time for you to get … Continue reading Why Getting a Medical ID Bracelet for My Hemiplegic Migraines Depressed Me
By Wanda - Discussing mental health isn’t quite the taboo it used to be, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It’s taken my entire lifetime (49.5+ years) it to be “okay” to talk about mental illness, and in some circles like *cough* family *cough* it’s still not a topic to be discussed. It’s always … Continue reading Migraine Survivors: The Toll Migraine Take on Mental Health
By Laura - It was the “Why me?”, “Please make it stop.”, “I can’t handle this” feelings that had me stuck in cycles of grief every time I had a migraine. A year ago, I would still be going through these ups and downs every. single. migraine. Not now. Now, I have looked beyond the … Continue reading A Look at Migraine Through the Stages of Grief
By Jorie - Recently I wrote about a mental breakdown I had involving my bipolar disorder and a severe mixed episode with psychosis. As part of my treatment plan, in conjunction with treatment for my physical illnesses, I agreed with my psychiatrist to try IOP (Intensive Outpatient Therapy) in the form of a group setting … Continue reading A Chronicle of I.O.P. (Intensive Outpatient) Group Therapy
