Cards of Hope
It’s a simple program, but rich and full in hope and meaning. It reduces the feeling of stigma. It says to patients, “you are not alone”. To feel cared about and supported can provide a huge boost when people are at their lows. And, in turn, they share their examples of fortitude and resilience.
From Shame to Advocacy
Mental health has been a source of shame, secrecy and isolation for too long. It’s time we start facing the real challenges people face and as a community, responding with hope, support, resources and respect. My recovery story is one of many, and I’m sharing it because of UCSF’s decision to shed some light on the topic and build community.
What We Can Learn From the Ali Shuffle
For many of us in The Stability Network, we lived our first decades in a certain way. Then the illness struck and our mental health diagnoses forced us to adapt and grow or decline. A significant part of that transformation meant learning how to identify our strengths and minimize our weaknesses.
The Courage to Own and Tell Your Story
Through creating autobiographical music, my life has become more integrated. I feel more confident and courageous in navigating vulnerability and difficult conversations.
The Mathematics of Hope
A lot of people say they’d die for their child. I’ve never heard anyone say they’ll show them what it takes to live.
The Long and Noble Road to Lasting Mental Health
Understanding the pre-condition and three requirements offers hope. The stigma associated with mental illness is fading and science is tackling mental illness from every possible angle.
Being Our Own Mental Health Advocate
We need each other to combat stigma, to make others like us realize they can overcome it. We need each other to advocate for ourselves. The Stability Network is about the possibility of hope and recovery. We are a message of empowerment.
The Joy of Rethinking Resolutions
Over the years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the New Year, and so often it would end in disappointment. While I’m all for a new slate, creating goals, thinking up new visions for my life, and making plans for what I’m going to accomplish, I’ve also experienced the heart-wrenching emotions of publicly declaring my New Year intentions.
Thank Goodness, I Have Bipolar!
I focus on what I know to be true: that the struggle to live with and manage a mental health condition gives me empathy for others. That I have great sensitivity. That even on medication—in fact, especially on medication—I get to feel the world deeply and be my best self. I get to thrive.