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 …
I didn’t just wake up with bipolar disorder type one. My mental health condition slowly revealed itself over the course of nine years. It is hard to pinpoint when the symptoms began; however, I am certain I noticed something lurking beneath the surface as a teenager. It was obvious to many who loved and cared …
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 …
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 …
I’ll never forget the day my friend Martin told me he just got diagnosed with cancer. As I sat sad and stupefied across from him over coffee I silently mused over the possibility that this charming old wise man may leave us way too soon. His erudition and idiosyncratic views of life are legendary. He …
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 …
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. …
“Be careful of how you use your tools as you can become the tools of your tools.” Henry David Thoreau *** My boss told me I need to do a presentation next week at our company sales rep meeting, on my personal philosophy on closing sales. Geeze, just because I was the leading salesperson for …
I had on my brown Ecco shoes. They have rather large, funny heels anyway, but when I looked down just moments after the car accident, my right heel was moved over to one side. I put my right hand on the bottom of my thigh and my left hand on the top, and knew it …
“Every mile is two in winter.” George Herbert The cold, dark days of the winter months can be a breeding ground for despair in some of us. I’ve battled a recurring low grade depression for many years. I never know when it will reappear but it often shows up in the fall when the days …
