Honor The Process
For as long as I can remember, I struggled with anxiety and depression. My parents put me in counseling in middle school, but it didn’t help. In high school I saw a psychiatrist and started an antidepressant. In college I started a mood stabilizer and anxiety medication. I also saw a hypnotist. It did not […]
How Mental Health Affects Physical Health
Even though these are uncomfortable, they can be warning signs that our mental health is at risk. We may be experiencing more pressure at work or school, or anxious about an upcoming event. Sometimes these symptoms are mild but sometimes these symptoms can lead to chronic illness. I recently ignored all the signs that my […]
My Journey
The only thing worse then suffering from mental illness or the loss of someone to suicide and addiction, is suffering alone. My entire life, from my earliest memory, I kept my fear and pain inside. I didn’t want to be a burden or thought of as an annoyance; so, I kept quiet. I started drinking […]
My Dad
Growing up, I knew my father had struggled with bouts of depression. That’s one of the things that made him such a skilled therapist. But as I grew older, I started to recognize the same struggles in myself. I had crippling anxiety from a young age, but never realized that it wasn’t something everyone had, […]
My big brother
I am Honoring my brother Connor who lost his life to suicide at the age of 25. Now that I have surpassed my older brothers age it feels more surreal that the next time I see his smiling face will be in Heaven. In my eyes I had always known Connor to struggle with mental […]
My sister
My sister is a Survivor. She’s a beautiful Mom, Grandmother, wife, sister, daughter and friend. When you look at her today you may not realize the struggles she has overcome to be here. She has survived childhood trauma, mental health challenges and substance use disorder. All of these have been prevalent in my family for […]
We put the FUN in DYSFUNCTIONAL
“We put the FUN in DYSFUNCTIONAL!” That’s a sign in my parent’s kitchen that I always laugh at because in my family tree, it’s very true. And sadly like most families, mine is no stranger to mental health. From Depression, PTSD, Substance Abuse and more – we have experienced a lot and sadly my Aunt […]
Honoring my wife
I want to Honor my wife Lisa – We lost our son Connor in 2016 and our hearts were broken! My wife has been an amazing partner supporting me on my grief journey. Without her I don’t know where I would be today. I was angry at the world – angry at God, angry at […]
Losing my son to suicide
I want to share my story to Honor my son Connor who died by suicide on 11/28/16 the day after he turned 25. Connor was an amazing young man who had tremendous capacity to feel and love. He battled addiction and anxiety most of his teenage and adult life. I miss him every day and […]
Losing my son to suicide
Connor lived 25 years here with us and I wish it was more. We shared a similar sense of humor, a love for ice cream and a love for the Lord. We worked together at Christian camps with kids and youth. Those were some of my favorite memories. There were times when Connor had big […]