Long time readers of mine know that I do two things on my birthday every year: Write a blog about the previous year through the lens of living with bipolar disorder. Whine, exactly the same way a toddler would if they can’t have a cookie before dinner. I’m not a fan of my birthday because, frankly, nothing good ever [...]
The holiday season can be a stressful time of year for everyone — but they don’t have to be. In a previous article, “Five Ways To Overcome Holiday Stress,” I offered some suggestions on ways to avoid some of the pitfalls that come along with the holidays. It turns out five suggestions wasn’t enough, so here [...]
As a mental health blogger and a person living with mental illness, I often use the word recovery. In fact, In my quest to educate the world, I am very open about my illness, but I’m also quick to let people know that I’m living well. In other words, I tell people that I’m a person in recovery. [...]
In this video, Gabe Howard answers the question “is depression physically painful?” He also invites you to share your thoughts in the comments section below. General Transcript “Is Depression Physically Painful?” Video My name is Gabe Howard and I’m here today to talk about the physical symptoms of depression. People are surprised to learn – and in fairness, I often [...]
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 [...]
As much as we’d like to believe that psychiatrists — as well as other mental health professionals — are above reproach, the truth is that they are people first. And people come with opinions, biases, and agendas. It’s because they are people first that governing bodies have come up with rules to govern their professional [...]
Low self-esteem is a growing problem. Especially in young people. There is so much pressure today to be successful, to have a great job, to look a certain way, to have a perfect life, and to be happy about it. These pressures often lead to low self-esteem and self-confidence, which in turn can lead to [...]
In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome guest Mike Veny, a mental health speaker with lived experience, creator of Transforming Stigma, and host of the Mike Veny Show podcast. In a serious examination of stigma, Mike discusses exactly what stigma really is and explains how there is [...]
