I was hospitalized with an eating disorder when I was 15. By 16 I was cutting myself and tying nooses, and by 17 I had experimented with a panoply of SSRIs and anti-anxiety medication. Seven years later I lead a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life. Here is my story. ∞ I was a pretty lucky [...]
Category Archives: anxiety
My Favourite Hothouse Flowers
This time of the year, rain or shine, is all about the flowers for me. I live to garden, and I garden as I live; with planning, effort, a dash of whimsy and most importantly, hope. By balcony, back yard, terracotta pots or hanging basket, whatever form my gardening has taken over the years, the [...]
Travel is quite the Learning Curve by Carol
Traveling is part of an important learning curve with regards to rituals, anxiety, fear and acceptance of change. For some the ability to cope in a new environment can be easier, while extremely difficult for others. There are in fact, people who chose not to travel due to shear terror. I’ve traveled extensively to tropical [...]
The Solace of Family
We are happy to be welcoming a new contributor to Recovery Talks, Sylvie Bouchard, who provides family peer support in Emergency at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. The first position of its kind at the Douglas, Sylvie’s is an invaluable role; supporting families as one who has also experienced firsthand what can be involved [...]
When it Hurts to even Hope…
We can easily understand a child who is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy in life is an adult who is afraid of the light.-Plato Every now and then, it seems like I keep having the same conversation; and lately a number of folks have shared with me their fears about recovery; how they [...]
The Rewards of Patience…is Patience
I’m tired of being me, And I don’t like what I see, I’m not who I appear to be – Lyrics to Extreme’s ‘Am I ever gonna change‘ Almost every day, something in my work or home life reminds of the role acceptance plays in our lives. Quite ironically perhaps, acceptance can play a huge [...]
Would I Trade My Life For Yours? by Carol
Would I trade my life for yours? For most of my life, I probably would have. Low self-esteem, high anxiety and fear influenced my thoughts and behaviors for decades, affecting my career, social, personal and family life. On the surface, I appeared confident, was productive, hardworking and extremely ambitious. I worked exhaustively at building a [...]
