Darkness to Dialogue: Living Well With Mental Illness

  Summary Always saying “yes” may seem kind, but people-pleasing can quietly erode your mental health. Discover how to identify patterns, reclaim your voice, and cultivate lasting resilience. Key Insight People-pleasing often hides unmet needs and fuels anxiety, resentment, and burnout. Recognizing these patterns and practicing healthy boundaries improves mental health and accelerates recovery. My Story With People-Pleasing For most of my life, I thought being agreeable, easygoing, and always available made me a “good person.” The truth is, it made me invisible to myself. When I was struggling with depression and trauma, I believed that saying “yes” to everyone else would make me more likable, easier to love, and less likely to be abandoned. But the cost was high. I stopped recognizing my own needs, my own voice, and even my own preferences. People-pleasing left me exhausted and resentful, yet terrified to change, because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. “People-pleasin...

  Summary  Many of us rely on coping strategies that feel helpful but actually slow our mental health recovery. This post reveals the hidden cost of these habits and shows practical ways to shift them for lasting resilience. What You Need to Know Not all coping skills are created equal. Some may soothe temporarily, but keep you stuck in patterns that slow recovery. Recognizing which strategies limit your growth and replacing them with healthier alternatives can accelerate healing and build resilience. Learning from My Own Coping Patterns For years, I relied on coping skills that felt “helpful,” but in reality, they were keeping me stuck. When I struggled with depression, anxiety, and trauma, I withdrew from friends and family. I believed that avoiding conflict or painful emotions would protect me, but it only amplified my isolation and shame. I also turned to distractions, social media scrolling, overworking, or overplanning—to numb emotional pain. These habits gave te...

Summary  Have you ever felt fear quietly creep in, years after a painful experience, as if your body suddenly remembered before your mind did? That’s retrospective trauma, and that late-arriving fear often marks deeper recovery, not relapse. Quick Answer Retrospective trauma occurs when fear or distress surfaces long after the original trauma. Rather than being a setback, it can be a sign you’re finally safe enough to process what happened. Recognizing it as part of your healing journey empowers recovery, rather than derailing it. When Silence Speaks: Learning to Listen to the Fear That Shows Up Late In many recovery journeys, whether from PTSD, chronic anxiety, or deep mental health wounds, fear doesn’t always happen in the moment. It can show up later, sometimes years after the painful event. And that isn’t failure. It's healing. Symptoms might emerge as sudden panic, disturbing memories, or creeping dread. Instead of panicking, consider pausing. This isn’t a regression; it may b...

Mental Health in the Workplace August/September 2025 Edition Welcome to the bi-monthly 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.  ...

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...

Monthly Mental Health Spotlight August/September 2025 Edition Written By: Aaron Smith Curated By: Caralyn Dreyer Finding Home: Aaron’s Story Every so often, I come across a story that reminds me why I do what I do. Aaron Smith’s journey is one of those stories. His path through questioning faith, exploring altered states, falling into addiction, and finding peace through yoga nidra is not just compelling; it’s a reminder that mental health recovery can take many forms. I’m honored to share his story here. Summary Aaron Smith’s mental health recovery journey began with a teenage mystical experience, took a detour into addiction, and ultimately found grounding in yoga nidra. His story is raw, inspiring, and full of insights for anyone seeking healing. Key Insights Aaron Smith overcame anxiety, depression, and addiction through yoga nidra, a meditative practice he describes as both instantly rewarding and deeply transformative. It became the key to his mental, emotional, and spiritual hea...