I am Stan Popovich and I struggled with fear and anxiety for over 20 years. During these times, my anxieties and fears were so powerful that I had trouble getting through the week and there were times I felt like giving up. I learned numerous lessons from my struggles, which I will share in this …
Tag: anxiety
Ken Barlow’s Story: I Have a Mental Illness (Making It Public)
Sometimes you just have to blurt out the truth. That’s what happened in 2012 to Ken Barlow, chief meteorologist at KSTP-TV. He was standing before thousands of walkers gathered in support of the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Barlow had agreed to host this annual benefit walk, and as he …
Tricks of the Trade: Practical Remedies That Lessen Depression and Anxiety
Facing and resolving the major impediments in our life will bring us to a better lot in our life, one that surpasses having no impediments at all. Assuredly what doesn’t destroy us will only make us stronger. That’s the point of all suffering. —Anonymous Numbers of depression and anxiety are skyrocketing. If you are someone …
How COVID-19 Has Affected Mental Health and Addiction in Minnesota
The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on the mental health of people of all ages. In fact, many people who had never experienced mental health challenges have found themselves struggling for the first time. Never has it been more important to take care of ourselves, seek help when needed, and support our friends and …
Between Straight Lines
Elise abruptly stopped using her brown crayon to color the space between the lines of a puppy. She brushed her wispy blond bangs from her eyes and, with a dead-serious expression, blurted out, “I have to go potty.” My wife, our twin 5-year-old daughters and I walked to the steel door. The counselor unlocked it. …
One at a Time
“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.” Lily Tomlin Our yoga instructor asks us to come to a standing position “one vertebra at a time.” I am not that well acquainted with my vertebrae. How many are there? Do I take them in sequence? What if they aren’t interested in going alone? Yoga familiarizes me with the inner workings of …
Social Phobia: When You’re Too Scared to Show Your Inner Life to Others
I hate being in a group of people I don’t know. If I can find a way to get out of such gatherings I will. My mind gets nuts with anxiety. I fear that I will be seen as abnormal—that people can see my flaws. My voice usually cracks, sweat pours off my forehead, and …
Rising Above After a Breakdown
“Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed and rearranged to relocate us to the place we are meant to be.” Life on Purpose – Mandy Hale When I had a nervous breakdown, I was in a bad way. The world I thought I knew had fallen apart. I was supposed to be …
Facing Fear
Fear stalks our world, brazen and shameless. I expect fear to occasionally sneak in and out of alleys, but to see it parade through public streets as though a welcome visitor is…..frightening! There are public and private fears; they embolden each other. Like bullies on the playground, they compete for space and power. Who will …
Why Am I Depressed When Everything Is Going Great for Me?
“I am so sick and tired of being sick and tired. I can’t even talk about it anymore. I go for long periods where life is good and I’m fairly happy. I have a great job as an engineer, a reasonably good relationship with my wife and all of our three kids are in college. …