Mental

"Everybody's got a dark side. Do you love me?  Can you love mine? Nobody's a picture perfect But we're worth it You know that we're worth it Will you love me? Even with my dark side?" "Dark Side" ~Kelly Clarkson     By this time, if you have been following my blog, you might be wondering if all my posts will be light and fluffy or informative. I have made an effort to make my posts both helpful and truthful at the same time.  The reality of mental illness, like any journey, is that there are dark parts.  There are times when wishful thinking and positive thoughts are not going to cut it. Sometimes, the ugly of being mental is what needs to be expressed.  Aspects of mental illness can be triggering to others and uncomfortable in ourselves. Depression is one of those uncomfortable aspects of mental illness.  For me, it is the bulk of my illness.       Most people have experienced some form of  depression in res...

"Serenity Prayer" ~Reinhold Niebuhr~ "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."     Most of us are probably familiar with this prayer.  It is used in addiction recovery groups and as a source of hope for those facing difficult times.  The words seem to resonate with most people and certainly have for me in my life.  There is one aspect of this prayer I have been learning more about recently.   ACCEPTANCE.     I'm not talking about the passive acquiescence that means you've given up or given in.   I am talking about the conscious choice to no longer resist the reality of a situation.  I know this is a difficult concept for some people.  Most of us have been raised in a culture that ingrained in us a sense of justice and when something shakes our core, we want to rise up and resist.  Acceptance (Radical Acceptance, to be...