End the Confusion about Love and Abusive Relationships
Abusive relationships aren't love. That might seem obvious, but abusive, toxic people behave in convoluted, contradictory, and confusing ways. In toxic relationships, love isn't as cut-and-dried as a neutral observer might expect it to be. For example, one might think…
6Ways to Forgive and Move Past The Hurt
Finding ways to forgive after we've been hurt can feel impossible. Being human can be difficult. Beginning in toddlerhood and lasting for the rest of our lives, we navigate our many worlds that include other human beings and, of course,…
13 Things to Say to Someone Experiencing Tough Times
It can be really hard knowing what to say to someone experiencing tough times. You care. You want to say the right thing to a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor who is going through difficulties. You want to be…
Character Strengths Beat Challenges: Find your Strengths, Enhance Mental Health
Character strengths. Strength. It's a word so often associated with humanity. We refer to people as strong, and we admire them for it. We encourage each other to be strong in the face of adversity. And, almost without exception, we…
Taming the Racing Thoughts of Anxiety
I admit to having racing thoughts. When anxiety flares, my thoughts race uncontrollably at dangerous speeds. I’m sure I’m not the only person who hates this with a passion. Thankfully, it’s possible to tame these racing thoughts. Racing Thoughts Make…
Emotions: Permanent Outlook or Temporary Attitude?
Life. It’s a ride. Specifically, it’s a roller coaster, and according to Grandma in the movie Parenthood (1989), a roller coaster is wonderful. She describes, "You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me…
Panic Attacks: Can There be Calm Instead of Storm?
Panic attacks are nasty little--no, nasty huge--storms that can hit suddenly, and tear through the mind and body like an F5 tornado, the strongest type of this destructive storm. In describing tornadoes, Enchanted Learning says that their intensity is difficult…
Sing Through Life’s Storms
Ah, life. So many adjectives describe it. Magnificent, stressful, wonderful, difficult, joyous, challenging, invigorating, and exhausting are but a few words that apply to the four-letter-word "life" (and there are, indeed, some four-letter-words that can also describe it). Note that…
Middle Grade Novel about Abusive Relationships Honored for Making a Difference in the World
When I worked as a teacher and then a teacher/counselor in different high schools, I was shocked to discover that a significant number of students, both female and male, were trapped in unhealthy relationships that ranged from toxic to downright…
En-JOY is an Action Verb: Mental Health Means Enjoying a Life Worth Living
The term mental health has become quite a buzz word (and well it should), but as a concept, it is very broad. What does mental health really mean? At its core, it means not merely the absence of illness; mental…