THE UNDERSTANDERS

Depression is NOT an emotion or mood. It might be described as a mood disorder and definitely moods/emotions are part of what is exhibited with depression but I think the description is deceptive.  Sure depressed people FEEL sad, anxious, helpless, and/or worthless; but depression is a physical disease. Sadness (also called heavy-heartedness) is emotional pain…

#BeReal – ALLIE BURKE

My #BeReal guest today is Allie Burke. Allie is one of my favorite people to follow on facebook maybe because she looks like I would imagine my own daughter will look when she grows up. Not only is she gorgeous she is a strong woman and a force for good. I recently read her book…

POSSESSION

Leaping from cliffs That have no face Undulating ground Swallowing faith We sit and listen As the crows cry Through echoing throats The little demons In feathery cloaks Crawl undetected Into our mouths To make their nest Coated in profanity Coaxing out screams They spill us out Into turbulent seas Just as the sky itself…

#BeReal – JACQUELINE CIOFFA

My #BeReal guest today is Jacqueline Cioffa. I first noticed this lovely lady on the The Lithium Chronicles. She is another mental health advocate. It’s hard enough for most of us to piece together the real us but imagine being in the modeling industry. An industry dressing you up and asking you to portray their…

#BeReal – KITT O’MALLEY

My #BeReal guest today is Kitt O’Malley. Kitt is full of surprises and I have had the honor of seeing her lovely face on twitter quite often.  She is a supportive member of the mental health community online and I am super glad she is participating in this series. Thank you for sharing your real…

#BeReal – NICOLE LYONS

My #BeReal guest today is Nicole Lyons. I am very excited to showcase my guest today.  She has a way of making you feel at home with her words.  Nicole is a mental health warrior fighting the stigmas that come with mental illness.  Not only does she educate and inspire, she also hunts down and…

#BeReal – SARAH FADER

My #BeReal guest today is Sarah Fader. Sarah runs a worthwhile non-profit called Stigma Fighters.  She fights stereotypes about mental illness, a cause I am very passionate about. Real people struggle everyday because of the misconceptions surrounding people with mental health issues. Sarah is only one of thousands of people who are coming out of…

CREATING US

Most days I’m a mess, don’t look at me But that isn’t something I’m willing to confess You’re looking through me, I turn away Not ready to be all the things you hope for me You seem to think I am made of steel But I assure you it’s a complex illusion Scraps of paper…

FINALLY HOME

I originally wrote this over a year ago but it never stops being true.  It may be the one thing I have written that has remained so constant. Surviving depression is a journey.  You never quite feel like you are in complete control of who you are or where you are headed.  I used to…