Category Archives

Mental Health

Yes, You Can Travel for Work With a Mental Illness

By Kristance Harlow | December 5, 2018 |
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The most invisible and stigmatized of all health issues are mental illnesses. It’s fucked up, but disclosing a mental illness while looking for a job can impact your chances of getting hired. It might be illegal (depending on where you live), but so many people in this world are ignorant. Companies may find some other point of contention…

Memories, Parts of Self, and Cohesive Identities

By Kristance Harlow | November 14, 2018 |
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Recovering repressed memories is possible. Trauma is subjectively experienced. Flashbacks are real. Depression is physical.

Will I Pass My Mental Illness to My Children?

By Kristance Harlow | October 1, 2018 |
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I want children of my own, but for the past few years I have been afraid that I would pass this on to my offspring. I feared how will my body and mind handle it?

Ocean view with adobe hut

Meditating With the Ocean in Cozumel

By Kristance Harlow | September 25, 2018 |
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I’m in Cozumel. It’s my first time here. I’m lying on a towel in my black and white retro high waisted bikini–lathered in sunscreen, of course–already dry from a long swim in the ocean.

Couple sitting against a wall

Relationship Red Flags: Are You Dating an Abuser?

By Kristance Harlow | August 21, 2018 |
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Trust your intuition, relationship red flags aren’t easy to identify, but there are warning signs. Are you dating an abuser?

Women in a class

The Importance of Women’s Recovery Spaces

By Kristance Harlow | August 13, 2018 |
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I’ve heard rumors suggesting that women’s only recovery meetings are not good because they’re just “man-bashing.” This is unequivocally false; just because something isn’t for you doesn’t mean it is against you.

crying woman

Feeling Depressed Is Different Than Being Depressed

By Kristance Harlow | May 24, 2018 |
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What I’m here to say is that “feeling depressed” is a different beast than “having depression.” Depression is a diagnosable medical condition and a disorder in the DSM-V. It affects many more aspects of life than just emotional. Some symptoms can severely impact the quality of life for people with it.

I Hate Having Depression

By Kristance Harlow | March 5, 2018 |
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My depression is really bad lately. I find everything meaningless. I don’t even feel happy in a quiet bit of nature. I hate having depression.

Getting Back On Track

By Kristance Harlow | March 2, 2018 |
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It was the longest period of time I have gone without a psychologist appointment since I first began treatment three and a half years ago. And I was getting weird, real weird.

Recovery Sayings One Day at a Time

By Kristance Harlow | February 8, 2018 |
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Doodling, drawing, and coloring impromptu art is a go to method for me to stay centered. Maybe it’ll work for you, too.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. The numbers listed here are the commonly used numbers for the stated region, the numbers can vary greatly depending on where you live. If you don't know your country's equivalent to 911, this wiki page and The Lifeline Foundation have comprehensive listings.

Americas

911

The Americas

Europe

112

Europe

Africa

112 & 999

Africa

Asia

112, 999, 110

Asia

Oceania

112, 911, 999, 111, & 000

Oceania

Find help for a crisis by texting, calling, or chatting online with these free crisis organizations. Looking for one outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

Crisis Text Line
Text: “HOME” to 741741

Suicide Lifeline
Text: “ANSWER” to 839863
Call: 1-800-273-8255

Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

The Trevor Project
Text “START” to 678678
1-866-488-7386

These online and international resources may help you anywhere you are located. Looking for local support outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

DV Support Abroad
Call toll-free worldwide
1-833-723-3833

I'm Alive Virtual Crisis Center
Live chat with trained volunteers

Crisis Connections
24/7 crisis support with interpretation in 155+ languages