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From Childhood Fears to Adult Anxieties: Understanding Anxiety Across the Lifespan
Anxiety is a universal human emotion that we all experience, both children and adults alike. In fact, it is normal to experience some anxiety and worry at times, as anxiety can be adaptive in nature and serve both as a motivator and as a means of keeping us safe. For example, anxiety can indicate...
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Anticipatory Anxiety: Understanding It and How to Manage It
Have you ever said to yourself, “I am dreading this event, and I am nervous about what will happen?” What you were likely experiencing was anticipatory anxiety. As outlined by the American Psychological Association, anticipatory anxiety is defined as the development of fear or dread in the face...
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The Heavy Burden of Suicide Survivor’s Guilt: Understanding, Coping and Moving Forward
Family, friends, and even mere acquaintances are left with a wide range of feelings after someone in their life commits suicide. Feelings of responsibility, regret, and helplessness manifest in a complex experience called Survivor’s Guilt. This painful guilt grows from a sense of intense remorse...
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Your Options for Responding to Mental Illness Stigma (Protectively, Collaboratively, or Assertively)
I have been open about my bipolar disorder for almost twenty years. Immediately after I spoke at my first mental health awareness event, I was met with feedback and gratitude. People thought it was a brave thing for me to speak up about my mental illness to fight stigma. But the truth is, I felt I...
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Personal Stories and Professional Insights on Navigating Chronic Pain
Living with chronic pain is a physically exhausting experience that extends far beyond physical discomfort. I know this both from my own lived experience with peripheral neuropathy and major nerve damage and as the CEO of People USA, a peer-led non-profit that serves individuals with behavioral...
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Coping With Chronic Pain: Good Advice Is Easy to Give but Hard to Take
Like many people, I live with pain every day. I’m lucky that, for the most part, my pain is tolerable and doesn’t interfere too much with my life. I walk slowly—but I walk. I sleep badly, but I sleep. It’s tough to sit in a car going long distances. Fortunately, my wife now does the...
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Consumer Perspectives: The Synergy of Housing and Employment Services in Mental Healthcare
This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors are served by Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a New York City-based nonprofit that is committed to giving every New...
