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Christmas mornings will never be the same.

I’m simultaneously exhausted and hopeful to see January 1, 2021.

After losing one of my best friends, Jason Klefisch, to suicide in June 2018, I was left with a type of grief I had never experienced before. 

On June 4, 2005, my world was forever changed when I lost my 24-year-old brother, Blaine, to suicide. He left behind three sisters, his mother and countless friends and family. My big brother-- my rock, my protector--was gone.

As we enter a new, very uncertain academic school year, it’s important for parents, caregivers, and school personnel to recognize the signs when a young person is struggling with his or her mental health.

I'm a news junkie, and I'm learning I have to change my habits if I want to protect my mental health.

A vote on August 4 to expand Medicaid means Missourians will finally have health coverage so they can see doctors, afford prescriptions, and access behavioral health or substance abuse treatment.

Experiencing discrimination, harassment, and threats of violence leaves people more vulnerable to depression, anxiety substance abuse, and many other mental health concerns. Yet black transgender people may be less likely to reach out to doctors and mental health professionals. It’s not difficult to understand why.

Racism and oppression have a deep impact on not only physical health, but also mental health. Racism is a significant social determinant of health and a source of chronic stress. It is truly a disease.

Being needed by furry friends infuses living with mental health challenges with purpose and joy.

Depression is not a symptom of getting older. Losses that can be experienced in one’s older years are very real, but depression doesn’t have to be.

Going the mental health distance in a race with no clear finish line requires better running shoes.

For once, we had our big dance affairs in order. Then COVID-19 changed everything. In the face of crisis, my daughter and I are realizing how parents can help their children find strength and resiliency.

Men want to talk about football, the weather, the latest news… anything but their mental health!! As men, we feel that if we address our feelings, our mental health, then we are somehow soft. I thought this way for many years. It turns out, that if we push these feelings down deep, then they will eventually manifest in unhealthy ways.

I am a person living with schizophrenia, but I do not let that define me. I am a person who hallucinates monsters, but I am not a monster. I am more than my diagnosis. I am more than my symptoms. I am me.

We can find ourselves spiraling down a deep dark hole of anxiety and fear when we start asking ourselves the myriad of “what if?” questions that worry us about COVID-19. During this especially unsettling time, it’s helpful to understand the differences between anxiety and fear, and how both can affect us.

This isn’t my first working-from-home rodeo. But this time around is different.

We are in unchartered territory.  As we watch the news unfold and begin to experience the realities of our new normal, it is important to remember how connected we really are to one another.

Social media get a bad rap, and sometimes, it's deserved. But I found something wonderful in Facebook I never expected.

I must admit to you that I had some difficulty writing this piece. In my daily life, I speak to people from all walks of life, of all colors, races, creeds, and who come from some amazing places both physically and spiritually.