Mental Health

It's holiday time, and life seems busier than ever. I'm working through my seemingly ever-growing list of gifts to buy, events to attend, and things to wrap up before the end of the year. In the midst of all this activity, it's during the quiet times that I recognize there is a void. My void has a...

It's official — we're right in the middle of the holiday season. For many, it doesn't feel like cause for celebration because this time of year can bring up feelings of sadness, loneliness, depression, or anxiety. Why do people get the holiday blues? Some people feel stressed from being overbooked...

Ed. note: This blog post has been adapted from a BuzzFeed post. The original post was posted on July 29, 2015. Read the original post. Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, worry, or fear that helps you cope with an event or situation. It's a completely normal response to stress. But when it...

What's the best holiday gift I have ever received? Not having to do the whole holiday thing. Really, I'm not a Scrooge. I love picking out the right gift for a person and watching them open it. Receiving gifts is fun, too. Oh, and let's not forget all the homemade goodies. And decorating your home...

Ed. note: This blog post is cross-posted from the MentalHealth.gov blog. The original post date was September 10, 2014. Read the original post. I'm a survivor of suicide. For me, that means that I've attempted to end my life by suicide and survived the death of my aunt who ended her life with a gun...

People often reflect on their college years with great nostalgia and fond memories. Having finished my first year this past spring, I am able to better understand that college is certainly a unique and precious time in an individual's life. Last summer, before my first year of college, I tried my...

Ed. note: This blog is cross-posted from the Mentalhealth.gov blog. The original post date was April 1, 2014. Across the country, there is a growing movement to create "trauma-informed" services, organizations and communities. This movement reflects an understanding that psychological trauma and...

My mother called me last Thursday night to let me know she was in the hospital and would be having surgery the next day. As I drove to North Carolina to be with her, I was thinking about how many people are in a similar situation, providing care for a family member from a distance. As I got closer...