Darkness to Dialogue: Living Well With Mental Illness

Emotions can feel like storms, sometimes intense, sometimes subtle, but naming them gives you power over them. Instead of judging yourself for feeling anxious, sad, or restless, try labeling the emotion: “I feel anxious,” “I feel frustrated,” or even “I feel exhausted.” 💡  Try this today:  Spend 30 seconds checking in with yourself.  Name the dominant emotion you’re feeling  and notice where it shows up in your body. Simply acknowledging it can reduce its intensity and help you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. (I have done this several times, and it was so helpful. Why it matters:  For those living with mental illness, emotional labeling strengthens self-awareness and improves emotional regulation, a critical skill in mental health recovery. Thank you for stopping by! Until next time, remember that you are not alone in your feelings or experiences. I've got your back! For more updates: Instagram click  here   Substack click  he...

​ When Your Brain Won’t Stop: Understanding Intrusive Thoughts in Recovery Article Summary: Intrusive thoughts can be distressing and disorienting, but they’re not a sign of weakness or danger; they’re part of how a sensitized brain tries to protect you. For those in recovery, learning to observe these thoughts without attaching meaning can transform fear into understanding.  “Intrusive thoughts don’t define you, they reveal how hard your brain is trying to keep you safe.” Rising Above the Noise: My Experience with Intrusive Thoughts I first noticed intrusive thoughts around middle school. They were sudden, random flashes of fear, violent images, worst-case scenarios, or strange “what if” moments that came out of nowhere. At that age, I didn’t think much of it. I assumed everyone’s brain worked that way. By the time I reached college, those thoughts became harder to ignore. I’d imagine something bad happening to people I loved, or worry that even having those thoughts meant some...

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...

Mental Health in the Workplace Welcome to Mental Health in the Workplace feature.  Have you ever felt your heart race or patience vanish during a meeting, email, or deadline? Workplace triggers can spark overwhelming reactions before you even realize what’s happening. Recognizing these triggers and applying coping strategies isn’t just helpful, it’s essential for maintaining mental health and professional effectiveness. Quick Answer Workplace triggers are cues, such as criticism, tight deadlines, or interpersonal conflict, that activate intense emotional or physiological responses. By noticing early warning signs and using grounding and self-regulation strategies, you can manage stress and respond intentionally rather than react impulsively. My Story: Navigating Triggers at Work For years, I noticed that certain situations at work: unexpected emails last-minute changes tense meetings—would leave me anxious, frustrated, or drained.  Often, I couldn’t identify why my reactions w...

Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes Summary Trauma and stress aren’t just in your mind; they live in your body. This post explores somatic psychology, showing how understanding and working with bodily sensations can strengthen emotional healing, reduce relapse risk, and create a more holistic recovery journey. Key Takeaway Somatic psychology connects body sensations to emotional healing, revealing how trauma is stored physically. Recognizing and working with these signals supports mental health recovery and sustainable emotional regulation. When the Body Remembers I remember the days when anxiety felt like a heavy weight pressing on my chest, and exhaustion seemed to settle deep in my muscles, no matter how much I rested. My body held stress and pain I couldn’t name; a silent echo of past trauma. "Healing my mind wasn’t enough; my body needed attention too." It took time to realize that trauma isn’t only a mental phenomenon. Somatic psychology taught me that my nervous system, mu...

🔍 What It  Really  Takes to Rewrite Patterns After Trauma, Diagnosis, or Burnout 🕓  Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes 🧠 Article Summary Reconditioning isn’t just about changing behaviors; it’s about healing your nervous system, rewiring automatic thoughts, and creating real, embodied change.  This post explores what reconditioning actually means and why it’s an essential (and often overlooked) part of sustainable mental health recovery. ✨ From Reaction to Resilience: How I Began to Recondition My Mind There was a time in my recovery when I genuinely believed I was broken, because I kept reacting the same way to familiar triggers, even after I had “done the work.” Journaling, reflecting, celebrating small wins... none of it seemed to stop the return of survival-mode reactions when I felt abandoned or unseen. But what I’ve since learned is this: I wasn’t broken, I was conditioned. And what I needed wasn’t just more insight. I needed  reconditioning . Reconditionin...