“We read to know we’re not alone.”
—William Nicholson, Shadowlands
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
Here is a collection of blog posts, articles, books, and more that have been helpful to me along my journey. All are highly recommended.
Books
- Know Doubt by John Ortberg
Learn how to embrace uncertainty in your faith. Written by a former clinical psychologist and pastor, this book provides an exceptionally balanced, philosophical perspective for anyone who wants to believe in God but cannot get past the doubt in their mind and the gaps in our understanding. - The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy
A comprehensive guide to overcoming OCD using ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) and MCBT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).
Articles and Blog Posts
Anxiety Disorders
- I’m Tired of Coming Up With Excuses for My Anxiety
- 15 Things You Need To Know About People Who Have Concealed Anxiety
- 11 Things That Anxiety Can Do To Your Body
- My Anxiety Makes Me Question Everything
- 34 ‘Strange’ Things You’re Not the Only One Doing Because of Anxiety
- How an Orange Helped Me Through My Panic Attack
- What I Need as a Person With Anxiety, but I’m Afraid to Ask For
- 29 Things That Are ‘Supposed’ to Help Anxiety, but Don’t Always
- Tips for Managing Anxiety When the World Feels Like a Mess
Awareness: General Mental Health
- 24 Questions People With Mental Illness Wish You’d Ask
- How People With Mental Illness Really Feel About Celebrities ‘Opening Up’ About Mental Health
- 16 Secrets of People Who Aren’t Working Because of Their Mental Illness
- 22 Ways People With Mental Illness Know They Are Loved
- ‘What You See’ and ‘How I Actually Feel’ Are Two Very Different Things
- 6 Things Not to Say to Someone With a Mental Illness, and Alternatives to Try
- The Biggest Lie I Tell Is Only 2 Words
Awareness: Mental Illness and Violence
- Dear America, Mental Illness Is Not the Problem
- Stop blaming mental illness for mass shootings
- Mental Illness Doesn’t Mean Mass Murder: The mental health system needs improvement, but violence isn’t the reason
Christian Issues
- When People Ask How I Keep My Faith When Prayer Doesn’t ‘Heal’ Me
- When My Mental Illness Makes Me Question if God Loves Me
- Is Suicide Unforgivable?
- What Does the Bible Say About Suicide and Depression?
- Does God Exist? I Don’t “Know”
Chronic Fatigue and Brain Fog
- 17 Things I Don’t Admit on Bad Days With Chronic Fatigue
- 8 Possible Reasons You Have Brain Fog
- The Difference Between Brain Fog and Forgetfulness
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Depression and Other Mood Disorders
- The Creative Way I Motivate Myself to Do Small Everyday Things When I’m Depressed\
- 24 Things to Do When Depression Won’t Let You Get Up in the Morning
- How Depression Fatigue Is Different Than Feeling Tired
- Why Mornings Are a Battle When You Have Depression
- Depression and Rumination: How It Works and How to Beat It
Dissociation Disorders/Symptoms
- The Piece of My Mental Illness That Didn’t Seem to Fit a Diagnosis
- 7 Signs You Might Have Depersonalization Disorder
General Mental Health
- The Power of a Morning Routine | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
- In Texas, People With Mental Illness Are Finding Work Helping Peers
- How Professionals Diagnose Mental Health Issues That Have Similar Symptoms
- A Place Called Hope – TWLOHA
- When Self-Sabotage Feels Like the Comforting Thing to Do
- When Depression Says ‘You Can’t,’ and Anxiety Says, ‘You Shouldn’t’
- How Hyperfixation Helps Me Cope With Anxiety and Depression
- The Advice No One Tells You About Going to Therapy
- How To Have A Healthy Relationship With Social Media
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Related Disorders
- 27 ‘Habits’ of People Who Live With OCD
- My Response to 8 Ridiculous Things People Have Said About My OCD
- What Recovering From OCD Rituals Looks Like
- The 10 Biggest Lies OCD Tells You
- Mistaken Beliefs about Uncertainty Acceptance and OCD – Intrusive Thoughts
- False memory OCD | OCD Life
- The Most Important People to Reach During OCD Awareness Week
- The Question My Psychiatrist Didn’t Ask Me When He Diagnosed Me With OCD
- When I Decided ‘Enough Was Enough’ in My Battle With OCD
- This Common Nervous Habit Is a Sign of a Serious Mental Health Issue
- One Size Does Not Fit All: Learning That Your Story May Not Be My Story
- How My OCD Defines Me and Why That’s OK
- OCD, EXISTENTIAL QUESTIONS AND TREATMENT
- The Inhibitory Learning Approach to Exposure and Response Prevention
- To Be Or Not To Be, That Is The Obsession: Existential and Philosophical OCD
- Living with Religious OCD (Scrupulosity)
- Scrupulosity Fact Sheet
- Recognizing and Counseling People Who Have Scrupulosity
Personality Disorders
Quotes (Authenticity, Accuracy, etc.)
Relationships
- Your Anxiety Won’t Ruin Your Relationship With the Right Person
- What It’s Like to Fall in Love When You’re an Overthinker
- 8 Challenges of Maintaining Friendships When You Live With a Mental Illness
- Maintaining Healthy Friendships With Mental Illness
- What Having a Crush on Someone Is Like When You Live With Anxiety
- 15 Traits of an Emotionally ‘Safe’ Person
Self-Care
- Why Taking a Mental Health Gap Year Better Prepared Me for College
- 5 Ways to Overcome Mental Exhaustion
- 12 Planners That Can Help You Stay Organized When You Are Overwhelmed
- Researchers Say Instagram Is the ‘Worst App’ for Your Mental Health
- 20 Secrets About Self-Care You Might Not Know
- How Hyperfixation Helps Me Cope With Anxiety and Depression
- 13 Things to Do on Your Phone When You’re Feeling Anxious in Public
- 4 Things to Do When Your Brain Is Tired
- Self-Care Ideas for a Bad Day
Self-Harm
- ‘What You See’ and ‘How I Actually Feel’ Are Two Very Different Things
- 7 Invisible Ways I Inflict Self-Harm
Social Anxiety
- 10 Tips for Job Hunting When You Have Social Anxiety
- 13 Things to Do on Your Phone When You’re Feeling Anxious in Public
- Overcoming Loneliness & Shyness: Making Friends Even if You Feel Shy or Socially Awkward
- Using Social Media When You Have Social Anxiety
Suicidal Thoughts and Suicide
- 23 People Explain What It’s Like to Have Suicidal Thoughts When You’re Not Suicidal
- Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions