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Broken Leg Syndrome: Why Don’t We Take Meds for Our Mental Health?
For twenty-five years, I’ve had to work through anxiety, depression and all sorts of mental health stuff. What have I learned? You need the right team to stay healthy. And just like any illness, it will likely start with some sort of medical intervention. But many times, people turn up their nose at the idea…
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I Just Celebrated Christmas for the 1st Time in My Whole Entire Life, and I Lived to Tell the Tale
Just a few weeks ago, I celebrated Christmas for the first time. Ever. All my life, there were no stockings hung by the chimney with care. (And I grew up in a house with a real, live working chimney!) No carefully wrapped gifts. No smell of pine needles and gingerbread houses. No carefully decorated Christmas…
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I Quit Drinking Alcohol Years Ago, but Why Can’t I Stop Drinking Soda?
It’s been almost two months since I drank. I think about relapsing every single day. I want the chill in my hand. I want to hear the kshhh sound when you pull the tab, and then the fizz when you pour it over a frosty glass of ice. I want to taste the icy sweetness…
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I Hate the Collection of Pills I Need to Take Each Day … but I Love Them Because They’re Keeping Me Sane (and Alive!)
There are many things I hate about Crazytown. I don’t like the stigma that comes with living here. The cost of living is insane. (Can you say thousands in copays alone each year?) And I hate that people I love have to live here, too, by default. But can I tell you what I hate…
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It Took 20 Years to Share My Mental Health Struggles. My Silence Could Have Killed Me
This past weekend, there were reports that Lowell Hawthorne, founder of Golden Krust, committed suicide. Early reports indicate that his employees were shocked and had no clue that he might have been dealing with some issues. There were comments like “If only he had spoken up” on social media sites. So, what if he had…
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Daylight Saving Time Is a Depression-Inducing Devil, so Here’s What I Do to Keep It From Keeping Me Down
Greetings from CrazyTown! These are dangerous times for those of us who live in CrazyTown. Let me explain. About eight years ago, I went to pick up my kid from day care. The clocks had been adjusted the night before, so I knew it would be getting darker, earlier. I went into her day care…
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Please Stop Assuming Stephen Paddock Must Have Been ‘Mentally Ill’
I used to be deathly afraid of being outed about my mental-health struggles. What if I got a speeding ticket and ended up on the front page of my local paper? Award-winning writer found with unknown crazy-people prescription pills in car while driving with child! I could get into a car accident or curse out…
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My Battle With Depression (and the Pills and Therapy Necessary to Defeat It): A Coming-Out Story
A recent Facebook post is the reason for this story. Someone I don’t know well posted some difficulties he’s been having. He danced around what sounded to me like depression. Without actually using the D-word, he talked about having a hard time getting out of bed, feeling sad for no reason and just wondering if…
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My Marriage Is Over. Most of My Friends Don’t Know
How do you announce that your 10-year marriage is over? Do you change your status on Facebook? Write a cryptic post about new beginnings? Group text? When my then-husband (let’s call him the Homey) and I decided it was time to spread the word, it was the start of the holiday season. (Merry Christmas, we’re…
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I Thought Day Parties Were Dumb And Too "Millennial" Until I Had One Of My Own
When I hear the words day party, I instantly imagine women in strapless dresses from Anthropologie and dudes wearing suspenders with those super high hemmed pants. There’s barbecue chicken that magically doesn’t drip. It’s at a perfectly appointed venue. There’s no talk about politics or hip-hop. There are people sitting on the back of upholstered…
