While I’ve enjoyed my time as a writer for "Living a Blissful Life" at HealthyPlace, this is my final post on the blog. Through my time writing here I’ve learned how to better articulate the methods I use for my own mental health recovery. Most importantly, however, I’ve learned about the impact sharing our stories can make. 

Secrecy and bulimia (and all eating disorders) often go hand in hand. But this is especially true for bulimia, where people struggling with the illness may not appear to be unwell. There are so many unspoken layers of complexity to the disease that a person can suffer for years without getting the help that they need. But breaking the secrecy around bulimia is one of the best antidotes to isolation and stigma. By opening up and sharing their difficulties around food with others – even anonymously – people can stop the illness from worsening over time. Talking about it out loud is often the first step towards healing. So, how do people go from years of silence and secrecy about bulimia to admitting that they have a problem?

Sometimes our loved ones don't believe in mental illness. This is a sad, but all-too-common, situation. When anyone gets sick, with any illness, we look to our spouse, friends, family and other loved ones to support us. We need them in these tough times. This is normal. But what if your loved ones aren't there for you because your loved ones don't believe in mental illness? Here are some suggestions for what you can do if this happens to you.

Suicide attempts are not all the same. The people behind them are not all the same. While much is said about those who attempt suicide with sincere conviction and commitment, there is a large and mostly silent group of people whose suicide attempts were impulsive, marked by ambivalence, or a “cry for help.” (Note: This post contains a trigger warning.)

Discussing our depression can be beneficial; however, we should use discretion when deciding with whom we choose to discuss our depression. We also need to be mindful of how much detail we go into with people. Not everyone can be trusted with the most painful details of the lowest points of our depression.

Teaching yourself to breathe might seem strange, especially as a way to reduce anxiety. You started practicing breathing even before you were born, and you've been breathing ever since. The respiratory system is hardwired to work with the brain and body to keep us functioning well. What happens, though, is that over time, we develop bad breathing habits (like bad posture habits, bad eating habits, and myriad other behaviors that don't do much for our wellbeing). The breath is essential in managing anxiety, and learning how to breathe correctly will help reduce your anxiety.

When asking whether suicidal thoughts are normal, we must first define what normal means to us. I think many people use the word "normal" when they mean "common." Alternatively, we might use the word "normal" when questioning if something is problematic. This definition shifts the question. Are suicidal thoughts common? Are they always problematic? (Note: This post contains a trigger warning.)

After a busy workday, it's essential to let your mind recover and disconnect from work. Studies have shown that a healthy work-life balance benefits mental health by decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Dealing with self-esteem issues has been one of the biggest challenges in my freelance career. I have encountered many sorts of obstacles since I started freelancing three years ago; yet, one of the most persistent things I've noticed is the way in which freelancing can contribute to certain self-esteem issues. In some ways, I think you really do need a strong sense of confidence in your abilities and skills as a freelancer in order to make a success out of your career. This applies to any career, of course, but perhaps more so when it comes to freelancing and self-employment, given that you have such a high degree of control over your work and the nature of your work can be quite insecure.

I’ve written about mental health disclosure on this blog several times in the past. In those posts, I’ve taken a strong stance in favor of the practice, because I am firmly committed to the benefits mental health disclosure brings to those who are mentally ill.