June/July 2025 Edition This month’s spotlight features Oscar, who generously shares, in his own words, the story of how his healing journey began. From a defining moment in solitary confinement to years of reflection, growth, and hard-won self-awareness, Oscar’s path reminds us that change can start in the most unexpected places. His voice is a powerful reminder that mental health recovery is possible, even when the odds feel impossible. I’m honored to share his story with you. What Led Me to Begin My Healing Journey In the year 2000, I was before a panel of people, a lieutenant, a sergeant, a case counselor assigned to me, and a therapist. They were going through my file detailing why I was in segregation. In the California prison system, it’s also called the hole. I was sent to the hole for a violent fight I was in with another guy inside of prison. At the time I was serving a double life sentence, I fell under the title of Juvenile lifer, which in my case at the time, was a...

Summary We hear “ be yourself ” so often, but what happens when being yourself feels unsafe? Emotional masking: The habit of hiding true feelings to avoid judgment is a quiet epidemic.  It affects our mental health and recovery by building walls where there should be bridges.  This post reflects on how performance-based living shows up in real life and why choosing to be real is a radical act of healing. Opening Reflection — Observing the Disconnect Have you ever realized that someone you admired wasn’t being fully authentic? That moment when disappointment goes deeper, feeling more like a breach of trust than just a fleeting letdown? It can bring a complex mix of frustration and sadness, along with a strong sense of urgency. Why does it feel so heavy? It’s a pattern I see again and again, especially on social media, where polished versions of life often replace messy truths. It’s easy to assume that insecurity goes away as we get older, that after a certain point, we ...