the winter blog

Lullaby: Music’s Amazing Healing Power

Music brings us pleasure and releases our suffering. It can calm us down and pump us up. It helps us manage pain, run faster, sleep better and be more productive. Alex Doman Music. What can I possibly say about music and the way that it heals me. Let me preface by saying: I AM NOT …

the winter blog

Hysterical: Humor and Mental Illness

There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt. Erma Bombeck hu·mor/ˈ(h)yo͞omər/ noun1.the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech.”his tales are full of humor”2.a mood or state of mind.”her good humor vanished”verbcomply with the wishes of (someone) in order to keep them content, …

the winter blog

7 Common Misconceptions About ADHD and Mental Illness

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increase the burden: It is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken’.” C.S. Lewis Because of common misconceptions about ADHD and mental …

My Mental Health Series

My Mental Health: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection. Billy Joel I’ve been avoiding the post about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. I knew the first time I ever heard the words that it was going to hit home with me. I’ve always been a sensitive person. …

the winter blog

Negative: 5 Insidious Examples of Toxic Positivity

“Positive thinking is a coping mechanism, an automatic coping mechanism. It is void of life. Feeling and experiencing the realness of what is actually happening are the essences of being alive.” C. JoyBell C. I’ve been thinking a lot about toxic positivity. I recently saw an incredibly offensive meme, disguised as inspirational, and the gist …

the winter blog

20 Simple Self Care Ideas For Bad Days

“Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.” Roy T. Bennett I’m not that great at self care. I mean that in the most basic sense. You see a lot of self care articles about painting your nails and taking long, …

Recovery Updates

My Path To Recovery: A Roundup Of Thoughts

“Recovery is scary but also is remaining exactly the same.” Unknown One of the reasons that I started The Winter Of My Discontent was to share my journey to recovery. I am well on my way, but still quite far from being in recovery. Just a few short months ago, I had a bad mental …

My Mental Health Series Recovery Updates

My Mental Health: Mental Health Recovery

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.“ Ralph Waldo Emerson I’ve been thinking a lot about mental health recovery and what it means for me. There are people out in the world who are of the mind that mental health recovery doesn’t exist. I …

My Mental Health Series

My Mental Health: Executive Dysfunction

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi Executive Dysfunction has been rocking my life lately. I haven’t been able to plan and execute much of anything, let alone my writing schedule. My brain bounces from one idea to the next, one topic to …

the winter blog

6 Important Things I Learned From My Mental Healthcare Story

“If you are broken, you do not have to stay broken.” — Selena Gomez Hello, lovelies! Today I want to talk about mental healthcare. The mister and I have both tested positive for COVID-19. To keep my mind off the fact that the plague has entered my household, I decided to write. I’ve seen a …