Darkness to Dialogue: Living Well With Mental Illness

Summary  Do you ever react in ways you later regret? In recovery, the difference between reacting and deciding can define your progress. By learning to pause, reflect, and choose intentional responses, you gain control over your healing journey and build resilience that lasts. Quick Insight Reacting is automatic; deciding is intentional. In mental health recovery, pausing before responding allows you to manage emotions, make healthier choices, and strengthen long-term coping skills. Learning to Pause in Recovery Recovery from mental illness isn’t a straight line. For years, I believed that healing meant suppressing my emotions or never stumbling. But the truth is, emotions are going to happen; they’re unavoidable. What matters is how we respond to them. For me, reacting meant snapping at loved ones, shutting down, or spiraling into shame. These patterns kept me stuck in cycles of guilt and frustration, even as I was making progress in other areas of life. Over time, I realized that...

Imagine conquering your anxiety by understanding a simple psychological theory, it's possible. Learning More About My Anxiety and Unlocking Insights for Better Mental Health      Earlier this year, I made the decision to publicly share my story of overcoming trauma and my experiences with living with depression and anxiety. This was a significant step for me, as I have struggled with anxiety for most of my life, particularly when it comes to public speaking. For as long as I can remember, speaking in front of others has been incredibly challenging.       My anxiety manifests physically—my voice shakes, my palms and armpits become sweaty, and my hands tremble uncontrollably. I also often find myself short of breath during these moments. Despite these overwhelming symptoms, I wanted to share my journey but I wanted to understand how I could begin to overcome my anxiety.      I am a researcher at heart and by trade, and I like to know why t...