By Melissa Riddle Chalos At its best, parenthood is the most beautiful, meaningful role you can take on. That little baby takes over your life, and nothing will ever be quite the same again. It can also be the most exhausting, frustrating and difficult thing you’ll ever attempt to do. When parenthood is status-driven, competitive
By Pat Matuszak First responders by definition respond to someone else’s emergency, not their own. So the emotional aftermath firefighters, paramedics, military or police personnel experience may be overlooked — even by the first responders themselves. If you’re a first responder and are experiencing symptoms like sleeplessness, anxiety or depression, you are not alone. You
By Alanna Hilbink You survived. The hardest part is supposed to be over. So why do you still feel bad, sad, afraid and even guilty? Survivor’s guilt is complicated and confusing. Surviving is complicated and confusing. But you’ve done it once, you continue to do it, and you can keep doing it. And with the
By Kathryn Millán, LPC/MHSP Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can happen to any person who has experienced a trauma that felt life-threatening and caused considerable distress. It is not caused by any personal deficiency or weakness, and it can happen to anyone. In the United States, approximately seven to eight percent of
By Patti Richards He’s not in elementary school, and he’s not a teenager. He needs you some days, and other days he doesn’t. Yesterday he kissed you goodbye before hopping out of the car, and today he barely grunted as he slammed the door. Tomorrow he might surprise you with an “I love you, Mom,”
By Stephanie Thomas My newborn son, Henry, and I strolled through the aisles of a grocery store one cold winter day just weeks after his arrival. I took my time, appreciated the coos and compliments of strangers and worried about which ice cream flavor — flavors? — we should bring home. An older woman approached,
by Melissa Riddle Chalos It almost goes without saying, but knowing human nature, we’ll just say it anyway: How healthy you are physically won’t matter much if, mentally and emotionally, you’re on life support. So, while you’re resolving to hit the gym at least five days a week, completely give up carbs and/or drink more
By Wesley Gallagher The onset of winter brings many things – snowy days, evenings by the fire, holiday coziness and warm sweaters, to name a few. For some people, however, winter brings an unwelcome change in mood. The “winter blues” are a common malaise brought on by the winter season, but many people suffer from
By John Southworth Episode six of the Recovery Unscripted podcast featured renowned interventionist John Southworth, recorded during the 2016 Recovery Results conference in Dallas. Southworth passed away in late 2017, but he lives on through the knowledge he so willingly shared. Expanding on his conference presentation, “Transforming the Past into Powerful Recovery Today,” he spoke
By Kathryn Millán, LPC/MHSP First responders are usually the first to arrive to scenes of accidents or disaster. They are strong men and women who have chosen careers to help others in need, even on days when they don’t feel their strongest. Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, nurses, rescuers and crisis counselors are highly trained