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, […]

What’s wrong with me? It’s summer and everyone is happy but I’m stressed, depressed and overwhelmed.  Sound like anyone you know? Maybe you’ve been there yourself. And it’s Okay!  We live in a world that avoids uncomfortable conversations. And that makes everything worse. So let’s have the conversations.  Life is full of ups and downs […]

  Emotional health is a priority. We need to stop sweeping things under the rug. You know what I always say…. Silence is the enemy.  My podcast The Be Ruthless Show  has a recurring theme: damage is done when we continuously sweep things under the rug and avoid talking about our emotions. It’s important to […]

stress management We live in a world that glamorizes being stressed. It’s like a badge of honor, and it begins early in life. My 11 year old niece said to me recently, “Aunt Sam – can I call you back? I’m really stressed out right now.” 😂 While adorable and amusing, it’s also rather alarming. […]

Adopt the anti-hustle Are you constantly hustling and pushing only to burn out and crash before getting back up and repeating the cycle?  We live in this fast-paced go, go, go world where we have normalized and even glamorized, pushing through exhaustion and overwhelm. . As a result, people are unaware that taking healthy, planned […]

Let’s talk about laughter! Laughter really is the best medicine, and here’s why you should find what makes you laugh and incorporate it into your daily routine … Research shows that if you sit and laugh for a long time, you will stimulate endorphins, which minimizes or ultimately gets rid of pain because the brain […]

From living with an invisible chronic illness to using mindfulness tools to navigate anxiety and painful triggers, these inspiring stories will leave you feeling less alone and more confident to be you, without fear of judgment. Mourning the Life That Was, An Episode Honoring Chronic Illness Grief doesn’t look the same for everyone.  Most people […]

When I look around, I see lights everywhere. I see couples holding hands. The air even smells festive. But the fact of the matter is, people everywhere are struggling in different ways. What they have in common is that they mostly sit back and observe, not wanting to disrupt the festivities. I’m here to let […]

The holiday season is in full swing, and many of even the strictest dieters have thrown caution to the wind. We’ll pull ourselves together and begin eating responsibly again after January 1, but until then there’s no harm in eating whatever we want… right? Unfortunately, this may not be the case. Studies have shown that […]

Though similar, anxiety and stress are two very different psychological issues. People who are stressed sometimes try to compare themselves to people with anxiety, but anyone who has ever experienced chronic anxiety knows that the two will never be the same. In my practice as an online mental health counselor, I have worked with several […]

Stress is considered one of the most alarming modern epidemics in America today. An increasingly large percentage of our population is suffering from chronic stress, and our culture is beginning to suffer for it. In attempt to counteract this growing trend, April has been designated National Stress Awareness Month. During these thirty days, your online […]

Are you stressed? According to the American Psychological Association, 47% of all Americans (and more than 50% of working adults) say that they are concerned with the amount of stress in their lives. I believe that stress is one of the fastest growing chronic conditions in America, and steps should be taken immediately if we are to […]