Summary Surrender is often misunderstood as giving up, but in mental health recovery, it’s a powerful tool of acceptance and self-compassion. This post explores how surrender, letting go of control over what cannot be changed: reduces stress enhances emotional resilience supports sustainable healing  Drawing from psychological research and practical strategies, learn how adopting surrender can transform your recovery journey.  Learning to Let Go and Find Strength There have been many times when I found myself locked in a relentless internal battle. I fought my emotions, intrusive thoughts, and circumstances that at times were far beyond my control. Every attempt to push through felt exhausting and ultimately futile. I was pouring energy into resisting reality, and the harder I pushed, the heavier the weight felt on my shoulders. One day, amid this struggle, I realized that my fight against what I couldn’t change was actually holding me back. True progress didn’t c...

Summary: Grief isn’t always about death. It can be the loss of identity, connection, or parts of ourselves we had to forsake to survive. Many men experience these silent losses, yet they go: unacknowledged unspoken unresolved.  In this post, we explore how unacknowledged grief impacts men’s mental health and recovery, and why naming it can be a profound act of healing. The Grief Beneath the Surface I’ve had conversations with men who never used the word “ grief ,” but I heard it in their tone, the deep ache behind their words, the subtle withdrawal. They didn’t speak of a deceased loved one, but of parts of themselves lost along the way: relationships that never flourished, opportunities they didn’t take, the version of themselves they might have been. I’ve witnessed the quiet ache of emotional numbness in men I care about, the kind that shows up not in breakdowns, but in the steady insistence that 'I’m fine' or 'Everything’s okay.' It’s in the distant eyes, the...

Mental Health in the Workplace June/July 2025 Edition Navigating Burnout Through Mental Health Recovery: Practical Strategies for Sustained Well-Being at Work Summary Burnout is a common and deeply challenging experience for many, especially those navigating mental health recovery. It can feel like a barrier to progress and stability in both personal and professional life.  This post examines how acknowledging burnout as a component of the recovery journey and implementing recovery-focused strategies can help safeguard mental health, rebuild resilience, and foster meaningful work engagement. When Burnout Felt Like a Setback in Recovery During my mental health recovery, I encountered burnout that felt overwhelming; it wasn’t just stress, but a deep exhaustion that threatened my hard-earned progress. What helped was reframing burnout not as a failure, but as a signal to pause, reset, and lean into the recovery tools I had been cultivating.  Small adjustments such as: pacing my w...

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...

  Each month, I shine a light on powerful voices that challenge the stigma around mental health by sharing honest, transformative journeys. This month’s feature explores the inner work it takes to move beyond survival and into healing. It’s not just about managing symptoms, it’s about awakening to the patterns we’ve inherited, the losses we’ve carried, and the truths we’ve buried. The following story offers a heartfelt look at how pain can be a turning point and how advocacy often begins with our own awakening. Carrying the Invisible Burden: A Mental Health Journey  Through Generational Trauma and Personal Loss Written By: Keisha Anderson   Mental Health Advocacy and Impact After experiencing a personal loss and working through the grieving process, I began to recognize  patterns and behaviors shaped by my upbringing-many of which were quietly keeping me stuck and  unfulfilled. That pain pushed me to seek deeper healing, beyond just coping. I turned to therapy,...

  Summary Recovery often means changing your patterns, but sometimes, it also means:  outgrowing people, roles, and spaces you once needed.  This post explores the quiet loneliness that can follow healing; when the chaos fades, but connection doesn’t immediately fill the space. It’s a compassionate look at how rebuilding life after mental health struggles can feel isolating and why finding belonging is a vital and worthy part of the journey. The Truth No One Tells You I never expected healing to feel so lonely. After years of living in survival mode, I assumed recovery would bring relief, reconnection, and peace. But what no one told me is that healing often creates a space, one where old relationships no longer fit, familiar habits fall away, and you're left sitting in the quiet.  Whether it was surviving toxic and abusive relationships or rebuilding after divorce, there were parts of my journey that I had to travel alone.  That quiet can feel like abandonmen...

Summary Men are often expected to be: Emotionally stoic,  rarely expressing vulnerability or sadness Unfailingly strong,  seen as providers, protectors, and problem-solvers, even at the expense of their own well-being This post explores how the pressure to provide and protect can quietly erode men’s mental health, and why we need to talk about it. Unseen, Unsaid, Unwell: The Weight Men Carry I grew up hearing phrases like “real men provide” that weren’t said with cruelty; they were said with pride. With love, even. But under the surface, they carried an impossible weight. I’ve watched men I care about push through chronic stress, ignore warning signs, and put everyone’s needs before theirs, all because they believed being a good man meant being unshakable. They weren’t praised for resting. They were praised for pushing. Even when their bodies were breaking down. Even when they were suffering in silence. And maybe they didn’t know they were suffering; they just thought ...