Pursuing Post-Traumatic Growth

By Melissa Riddle Chalos There’s nothing like a full-on, worldwide pandemic to bring life as we know it to a crashing, hard stop. We were moving along at a nice clip, working our jobs, going to school, raising our families and then, boom! The entire world stopped on a dime. Read More

Who Is Helping the Helpers? Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness

By Christa Banister As social distancing, COVID pods, masking, the “new normal,” and regular reminders to wash your hands and not hug or high-five people became part of our pandemic vernacular, another message also began trickling into the mainstream: We’re all in this together.  Piggybacking off that idea, the… Read More

5 Ways to Practice Self-Forgiveness in Recovery

By Wesley Gallagher Forgiveness is a powerful act. If you’ve ever been forgiven for something you did that hurt someone, you know just how effective forgiveness can be. And if you’ve ever been deeply hurt by someone, you also know how hard it can be to extend forgiveness. But… Read More

Shining a Spotlight on Military Sexual Trauma

By Melissa Riddle Chalos The brave men and women who serve our country in the military experience many difficult stressors that ordinary citizens do not. Whether they’re in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, National Guard, or Coast Guard, life in the armed forces is intense, stressful and often unpredictable… Read More

Celebrating Independence and Those Who Keep Us Free

By Anna McKenzie Every year on July 4th, Independence Day, we celebrate our nation’s freedom and the people who have fought to keep us free — our military service members. But at times, it’s our present and former service members whose welfare is poorly prioritized. Because of what they experience… Read More

Post-Traumatic Growth: Turning Pain Into Progress

By Christa Banister While Oprah Winfrey is famous for asking about people’s big “aha!” moments — those lightning sparks of insight where a life-changing truth suddenly clicks and forever changes your way of thinking — she recently admitted she’s experienced her fair share of “aha” moments about the enormity of… Read More

If Mental Health Issues Are So Common, Why Are We Still Afraid to Talk About Them?

By Melissa Riddle Chalos Given all the advances of modern medicine, greater access to education, and all the benefits of living in the digital age, it’s hard to believe that centuries of confusion still exist in the public’s mind when it comes to mental health and mental health disorders. Read More

Does Depression Make You Drink More?

By Beau Black Depression and alcohol use disorder are often connected conditions. Each can make the other worse, and one can trigger the other. Many who struggle with depression turn to alcohol to medicate their symptoms. But while alcohol may dull your senses in the short term, it ultimately… Read More

What Is Emotional Regulation, and Why Do I Need It?

By Melissa Chalos When you hear the word “emotion,” what comes to mind? For some, the word has an instantly negative connotation as if it’s a bad thing to feel emotions at all. Some children are taught outright that showing any emotion — be it anger, sadness, fear or even… Read More

COVID’s Anniversary: Marking One Year of Pandemic Life

By Beau Black As we round the corner on a year of living with the effects of COVID-19, it may be helpful to look back at the changes the past year has brought and to look forward to what life will look like post-pandemic. Many of us have spent… Read More