As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that people almost expect me to dread my upcoming birthdays. They hesitate to ask me how old I am. They joke that I’m turning 29 again. And if they do know my age, they may even comment on how old I’m getting.  As if that was a bad thing.   Something to be dreaded. Or even feared.   Even my son one day joked that his dad was getting old. And I piped up saying, “So what?????”  And he didn’t know how to respond to that.   Because our culture teaches us that getting older is a bad thing. And I think sometimes we don’t even question…

By Meghan Villatoro  Learning you have an illness is never easy. Finding out you have a mental illness, like bipolar disorder, is no exception.  Some people become discouraged when they are given a diagnosis. They don’t like being labeled or are concerned they will be judged.   For others, putting a name to how they feel can be a relief. It’s hard when you don’t know why you feel the way you do, so being able to learn about your illness can bring a lot of answers.   Like all illnesses, learning how to live with bipolar disorder brings its share of challenges but with the right help and support, someone who…

By Wendy Wallace  Have you ever noticed that amid life’s greatest trials, God has a way of slipping in unexpected moments of joy?   He does what any good Father would do. He gives us the tools to take our minds off the pain and sadness and redirect our minds to better thoughts so that we can have the peace of God that we so desperately seek.   This is why laughter is medicine for the soul.  We often wonder why we are such emotional creatures. But we were created in the image of God. We have emotions because God has emotions. He gets angry and feels sad. But He also loves…

By Tara Johnson  Are you living with POTS or care for someone who lives with POTS? Let’s dig deeper into the term that is more than a tool for cooking in the kitchen.  POTS is the acronym for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.   It is a form of Dysautonomia which is an imbalance of the Autonomic Nervous System. POTS is tested by the Tilt Table Test, or informally called TTT. The Tilt Table Test must raise your heartrate over 30 points in order to accurately diagnose POTS.  Most people have a feeling of malaise. They do not know exactly what’s wrong, but they just “don’t feel well.” And the average diagnosis…

By Kimberly Wyse Do you wake up each morning, the weight of the world pressing down on your shoulders before your feet even touch the ground?   The battle with depression is not a solitary struggle, although you may feel so alone. It’s an all-consuming force that threatens to drown out the light of hope and joy in your life.  If you’re anything like me, all you want to do is sleep, but sleep can be the most elusive thing. You feel stuck, maybe not even sure what the problem is. You WANT to get better, but the idea of asking for help seems ridiculous or even frightening.  Even though it…

By Mary Rooney Armand Sitting in the chair at the optical store, I knew something was wrong.  The technician looked concerned and asked random questions about my makeup routine and past vision problems.  I was 21 years old and needed a pair of eyeglasses, that’s it. But this visit took an unexpected turn.  According to the optician, she observed something unusual, and I had to see a specialist; not something I expected or wanted to hear.  She referred me to an Ophthalmologist, a medical doctor specializing in eye treatment and surgery.  Oh boy, this sounded serious.  This ordinary day in an optician store began an uncomfortable journey managing and sustaining…

Learning how to live with a chronic illness has forced me to learn how to build my mental strength.  Because I have good days. And bad days. Days when I feel like I can do anything. And days when I can’t get off the couch without feeling dizzy.   When I wake up, I don’t always know what the day is going to bring. Which can be quite frustrating.   But over the years, God has used this trial to help me grow in my faith. To experience His love and Presence in new ways. And to develop the mental strength I need to make it through the hardest of…

There’s a lot of talk about how to rest and self-care these days. And with the busyness of our culture, it really is no surprise.  Many of us feel like we are stressed out. Burnt out. And running on empty.   We know we need to rest. But we just aren’t really sure how to.   Not only that but sometimes it can feel selfish to focus on us and our need to rest. And by all means, our selfish hearts can definitely do this. We can make an idol of anything . . . including self-care.  But we also have to remember that we can’t pour from an empty cup.   When…

Since receiving a chronic illness diagnosis many years ago, I have always been on the lookout for new things to try in order to feel better. (Especially if those things are simple, easy, and don’t require taking another medication.)  As it turns out, when God commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) He knew it would not only make us feel good, but it would also work for our good.   Because there are some amazing health benefits to practicing gratitude.   Who knew something as simple as saying, “thank you” could go a long way in improving our overall health and mood. (Well, obviously God did!) What is…

When I was first diagnosed with a chronic illness, I felt like all my hopes, plans, and dreams for my future were ruined. My situation felt hopeless. I was overwhelmed, depressed, and angry.   And in my bitterness and sorrow, I tried to push everyone away.   I didn’t need anyone to feel sorry for me. To have pity on me. And I certainly didn’t want my suffering to cause suffering for anyone else.   Life had knocked me down. But I could handle it on my own. I didn’t need any help. I would pull myself up by my own bootstraps.   I was a strong, independent woman. And I was bound and…