My great-grandmother lost her husband, both sons and both grandsons to depression and suicide. And she almost lost me. Grandma Fishel was my constant supporter during my tumultuous youth and adolescence. Her home became my refuge, my safe space away from the house I...
The day I turned in my master’s thesis, I woke up early. I curled my hair and applied a generous coat of makeup — even making time for contouring and setting spray. I posed for pictures with a school friend; we beamed, holding our freshly printed and bound 100-page...
At the risk of showing my age, I preface this blog post by saying, “back when I was a kid, all we did was hang out with each other.” We’d go to the mall, play sports, hang out at each other’s houses and go home only when we had no other choice. As a...
I have been in remission from symptoms of serious mental illness (SMI) for 11 years; however, there was a period of my life that was extremely difficult when my symptoms were severe, involving multiple psychotic breaks. I was filled with heartache and despair, and...
“You’ve been doing it all along.” These were the words of my startled, excited therapist years ago in her office. I had come to her desperate to unlock and heal traumas that had built up over time. I was about a year into a romantic relationship that would become my...
As NAMI and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) come together to celebrate the accomplishments of Sabine Wilhelm, PhD, the winner of NAMI’s 2023 Scientific Research Award, we are reminded of the intricate nature of OCD and the critical importance of research in...
