Postive Peer Support As someone who lives with bipolar disorder and often feels disconnected from the “real” world, it’s no surprise I’ve spent a lot of time in online peer support groups. All of this was long before I reached My recovery, became a writer, or even heard the term “peer support.” For me, it was simply [...]
“Truth is I cut my hair for freedom, not for beauty.” ~Chrisette Michele When I was about 13 years old — 27 or so years ago — I decided to grow a ponytail. Before that, my parents chose my hair style and kept it short. At the time, I just wanted to look like my 80s hair [...]
My name is Gabe Howard and I’m forty years old. I’m outgoing and charismatic, and I make my living as a writer and speaker. Despite a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, my adult life is stable and I’m content. When it comes to my childhood, many things stand out, but — even all these years later — the biggest defining event [...]
Society has the backward notion that men aren’t supposed to cry, even when depressed. Sure, men get a pass at their daughter’s wedding or the funeral of a loved one, but even then we are expected to cry in a manly way. We are expected to choke back the tears and fight the emotions instead [...]
Depression is one of those things that everyone has heard about, but few understand. I often joke that depression is like panda bears in that everyone is familiar with them, but most people have never seen one in real life and even fewer have touched one. Yet, we all feel as if they are commonplace. [...]
