Happy Holidays!  I hope that all of you have had a happy holiday season – whatever that looks like for you. Today marks 6 years without Jim. As you can imagine, the holidays have been more than difficult ever since his loss. It’s a time filled with great pain but also reflection. I believe in […]

December is Seasonal Depression Awareness Month, and it couldn’t be more timely. Between the shortened daylight and the holidays, this time of year can trigger increased depression. So let’s talk about it. This season is especially tough for so many of us. Even if we love the celebrations, the holidays are still stressful. We’re dealing […]

It’s International Day for Tolerance, so today I want to talk about tolerance from the perspective of a mental health advocate.  If you spend even a small amount of time interacting with others, you’re bound to find differences. From race and gender to political beliefs and worldviews, diversity is all around us. And as the […]

We’re heading into the Halloween weekend, and as I look at everyone’s costumes on social media I can’t help but think about masks. I’m not talking about actual masks, of course. I’m talking about the masks that people put on in everyday life – the ones that hide their true personalities, identities, and intentions. I’ve […]

Now that the chaos of the first – ever Ruthless in the Rockies retreat is over, I’m reflecting on everything that happened – all the good and the not so good. And there is so much to share with you!  But the thing that’s been on my mind the most is the topic of ‘detoxing.’ […]

This week is National Suicide Prevention Week. This year’s campaign theme is ‘Talk Away the Dark.’ So let’s start a conversation about what we can all do to prevent suicide! Most of us have been touched by suicide in some way. After all, it’s the 11th most common cause of death in the US today, […]

Today is National Overdose Awareness Day. Substance abuse is closely tied to mental health, and by breaking the stigmas around both of these issues, we can begin to raise awareness about overdose deaths. So let’s talk about it. The most recent statistics from the CDC report that in 2021, almost 107,000 people in the US […]

My 9 – year anniversary was yesterday, which is always a tough time for me. But in the midst of the complicated emotions, I’m so grateful for the close friendships that are getting me through it all. I want to discuss the important role that friendships play in your overall mental health. From toxic friendships […]

Let me start off by saying what I’ve said before: there are not enough grief support services available in this world. The support that is available is the responsibility of those grieving to find. It’s absurd! That’s why I created Griefhab – so that people can get the support they need AT the time of […]

July is Bereaved Parents Month–and my guess is that you don’t even know. Because there’s little to no support available for grieving parents. There’s little support available for people grieving, period. And the support that is available doesn’t meet people’s needs according to their own reports, and it’s not provided for them. Rather, it’s their […]

June 26th was International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Since the month of June is also PTSD Awareness Month, let’s talk about PTSD and drug use.    Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life-altering diagnosis. You probably think of veterans when you hear the term. But PTSD is more common than you think, […]

When someone enters a medical setting, they’re usually in an emotionally vulnerable place. After all, no one is seeing a doctor purely for the fun of it. So why is it that most medical practices seem to ignore the emotional and mental state of their patients? Is this really the best that we can do?  […]