Category Archives

Mind and Body

woman with soft purple brunette curls looks with sorrow at camera in selfie with pink flowers in the background

Am I Scared or Is It Grief? – Uncovering the Sad Feeling

By Kristance Harlow | June 18, 2022 |
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I used to feel this sad and heavy pain in my gut all the time. At times I could name it, pinpoint where the sad feeling started. Most of the time it just felt bad, at best a sign that something was off. Maybe a warning to tell me a memory was trying to be processed,…

Person in black with a white mask

Depression Is My Monster

By Kristance Harlow | December 1, 2019 |
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Depression is growing bigger, having eaten Alice’s fantasies. It’s the demon in Spirited Away. A monster glutinous for pain.

Picture of the author, blurry, dancing

I Deserve Respect

By Kristance Harlow | November 30, 2019 |
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The truth is: You can probably make me feel bad. You can probably succeed in making me cry or have an anxiety attack. I might be incapacitated by it. But I’ll pull through, I always do.

Woman with mascara running holds a sign in front of her face with a smile on it.

Sometimes I Feel Ashamed of My Mental Health

By Kristance Harlow | November 29, 2019 |
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I think I should be different by now. That I should be better by now. And I don’t want to reveal the extent of my struggle because I feel ashamed. I’m embarrassed.

Counting the Hours to Counter the Fear

By Kristance Harlow | January 3, 2019 |
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I drift through the days, counting. I count the hours until the next meal, class or nap. I count the days until the next trip to town, the weeks until I am home, the months until I turn twenty-one, the money in my wallet, the crackers left in my room. How much longer until something else happens?

Follow Your Bliss…Differently

By Kristance Harlow | December 12, 2018 |
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Sometimes one thing that frequently makes me happy will be completely joyless and painfully uninteresting on another day. Which is a hindrance for trying to create a life that allows me to follow my bliss in my work.

Self-Disparaging Thoughts

By Kristance Harlow | December 10, 2018 |
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These thoughts are dark. The shame is so big that it tries to stop me from talking about the thoughts, which prevents me from processing the pain.

Create Your Own Motivation

By Kristance Harlow | December 9, 2018 |
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My motivation ebbs and flows. Real dedication to work towards contentment and health comes through on an unpredictable stream. It’s rarely strong and often is barely a trickle, but it is just enough to keep me going.

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?

woman sitting inside looking at a fire outside

Yes, Things Get Worse Before Things Get Better

By Kristance Harlow | September 26, 2018 |
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One thing about trauma in PTSD is that it starts to show itself when you’re safe(r) than before. Our brains are working on overdrive trying to protect us and to handle all the threats and to keep us alive after the earth shattering trauma(s) we lived through. We feel scared because we know how bad…

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