I’ve long been interested in the connection between mental health and addiction because the worlds of recovery are so similar and yet so different. One of my biggest frustrations in addiction recovery circles is the lack of awareness of mental health–especially the physiological nature that threatens lives. And many depressed folks don’t take seriously enough...
Deep breathing has become increasingly important in my recovery from depression and anxiety because I recognize that shallow breath contributes to my panic. In fact, at my worst hours, I would use a paper bag to keep from hyperventilating. The practice of deep breathing stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), responsible for activities that occur...
The night we turn back the clocks for Daylight Savings Time has always been for the universe’s invitation for me to get out my mammoth HappyLite from the bedroom closet and start soaking in the 10,000 lux that I hope soaks lots of sanity into my head. I realize that Daylight Savings doesn’t take the...
Recently I described symptoms of panic: Indecision: sorting the laundry is excruciating. My God! I don’t know if these plaid shorts go into pastels or darks. They include both light and dark colors! Guilt: I’ve given my husband a rash because I’m causing him stress and stress does evil things, shame on me. I’ve also...
A new study from Ohio State University and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain, and published in Psychological Study found that when a person writes an unwanted thought down on paper and throws the paper away, he or she mentally discards the thought. Conversely, when a person writes down a thought and puts the paper in his or...
