Community stories

As a generally light-hearted person, I shall recount the tail which is the root of my childhood PTSD and how it is still a part of my daily life in the most palatable way possible.  While I do not find myself cowering in a corner during a normal day when I recall the...

My mental health journey begun when I was 16 years old. At nearly 24 a harsh reality I've faced is that the journey is nowhere near complete, but I've learnt so much along the way so far that I know I can use to help myself in times of need. I had a very normal...

How many people have you met that were very comfortable but unpeaceful? Probably a few. How many have you met that were peaceful but uncomfortable? The latter is probably a harder image to conjure up. Most of us live as if the unpredictable nature of life was a...

This is Part 6, the final article in a series of personal articles detailing what it is like to be a caretaker for Bipolar disorder, titled "Outside Looking In" Read Part 1 here Caring for a loved one with a mental health diagnosis is more than a full-time job. It’s a...

As a caregiver for a loved one with a mental health diagnosis, few roles are as important as helping figure out the morass of the healthcare system that tries to care for mental health patients. For the person in the throes of a mental health episode, there’s no way...

This is Part 4 of a series titled "Outside Looking In" Read Part 1 Read Part 2 Read Part 3 Every couple dealing with a mental health diagnosis has to wrestle with the question of children. Can the parent with the mental health diagnosis contribute to parenting? Can...

Whoa Nelly... slow down… Imagine yourself living on a horse ranch without any reception or internet. You’re surrounded by nothing but the sound of trees rustling, birds chirping, and maybe the distant moo of cattle or neigh of a horse. There are no TVs. There is no...

This is part 3 of a series titled "Outside Looking In" Read part 1 here Read part 2 here Every family has its routines. Someone washes the dishes. Someone takes out the trash. Someone cooks. You get the idea. But what happens when a family member has a mental health...

This is part two of a series titled “Outside Looking In“. Read Part One here. One of the biggest challenges in dealing with a family member who has a mental health diagnosis is that no one has all the answers. No one. Unlike a broken leg, which can be fixed by...

In 1988, my wife, Becky, was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Since 1994, when we got married, I’ve been her primary caregiver. Like many with Bipolar Disorder, she leads an ordinary life. She works. She’s given birth to, and helped raise, two children. She’s buried...

COVID-19 has changed the world and the way we live in it. During this time of loss, change, and uncertainty of the future, everyone is experiencing a multitude of different mental health challenges, struggles, and responses. The experience of high schoolers in...

Meet Mariam. She is a volunteer at Breaking Taboo. She is an artist, a writer, and a mental health advocate. At Breaking Taboo, we encourage conversation and creative expression. Here, Mariam can share her true story of pain, survival, and wisdom, as well...