Anxiety: worry, concern, apprehension, uneasiness, fear, agitation, angst, nervousness, tension. Anxiety: an awful state of being that encompasses our very being -- mind, feelings, actions. The Mayo Clinic describes it as “intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations." Many of us live with it; few, if any, of us want it. What do we do about it?

Unwanted trauma memories are soooo hard to get rid of, aren’t they? You try to ignore them, suppress them, pretend they don’t exist or didn’t really happen. But they persist with more determination than ants discovering an untended picnic spread. This means that a trauma memory can hang in an activated loop that makes it feel like threat continues and the experience is present. And then what happens? Whew, PTSD and fatigue, for one thing! Memory is important when it comes to PTSD and integration, so I decided to ask a pro about all of this – and what can be done about it.  Dr. Michael Smith, of Life Extension Magazine, outlined for me fascinating information about the brain, the processing of memories, and how one simple supplement can help improve brain function in areas hugely important for trauma recovery.

What’s worse than a panic attack? Having panic induced publicly. In many cases, the public display of anxiety is more troubling than the attack itself. Having an anxiety attack is quite a bit to worry about and adding in the concern for how you are perceived by the people watching is another level entirely.

One of my friends from AA relapsed recently. Her struggle has caused me to learn many things. One is that alcoholism is a progressive, deadly disease that is "cunning, baffling and powerful", and that you must always be on guard because alcohol relapse is easy, no matter how many years sober you have. The second is that you have to have a reason to stay sober, and you have to work at it. The third is that alcoholism relapse can happen to anyone.

I dedicate this post in loving memory of Benjamin Eric Smith. Being Thankful For My Bulimia Recovery Almost a year ago this month, I was invited to be a guest blogger on this Surviving ED blog. ‘Why not?’ I thought, after finding out more about what it entailed.  

April is Stress Awareness Month according to Brownielocks.com. Stress is common to all people, but it is especially challenging for a child with mental illness. I know how stress affects me, but I can also tell when it affects Bob. Parenting a child with mental illness also means dealing with stress as a trigger instead of being a by-product. Here are some tips to help your child with mental illness.

Hello again, everyone, my unmet friends with adult attention-deficity/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I have compiled a bunch of quizzes from around the Internet and have created my own adult ADHD diagnostic test to answer the question do I have adult ADHD. Like all online quizzes and psychological tests, though, please know that this is no way diagnosis you with anything - other than the potential 'enjoy online quizzes too much' pathology.

Not only did I forget to recognize The Semicolon Project on April 16, I also didn’t submit a blog on the day I was supposed to. I praise myself for being timely and recognizing days that I see as important. I typically am very organized and sometimes I become obsessed with routine. However, when I am a little off with my schedule, I tend to be filled with regret and frustration. You can’t regret something you did or should have done – we are humans and it happens. Don't let regret lead to self-harm.

From the hot tears of anguish to the cold, unfeeling stare of painful indifference, depression and emotions go hand-in-hand. And, make no mistake - indifference is a very powerful emotion. I've lost whole days to indifference wherein I cared about nothing, including my husband and children. I wish I could say I felt nothing during those days of indifference, but the truth is, the only thing I did feel was pain. I simply had no tears left.

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.~Sai Baba Are you doing what you always dreamed of doing? Are you living a blissful life at home and work? Do you feel like you are living each day to the fullest? How would you spend each day or the last week of your life if you knew it was your last? Easter Sunday reminds me of forgiveness, second chances, sacrifice, hope, new beginnings and possibilities. Let’s think about it, the story of Jesus’ last week on earth as a human being was riveting. His life and the life of others who crossed his path were filled with wondrous acts, profound prayer, realized prophecies, rich conversation, mesmeric moments and game-changing events for all of mankind. He knew his life would end at week’s end, even so, He did not waste any time. He marched towards living a meaningful, passionate and impactful life.