Since I was 14 I have struggled with depression and some suicidal ideations, and as of 2 and a half years ago I was re-diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And it’s so scary to share that, but I’ve found that sharing our stories begins to put a crack in the stigma. Sharing stories connects us to the people around us to make life bearable. And being listened to saves lives.
More info…Just in time for the holidays we finished distributing the record-setting proceeds from the fifth annual Pearland Veterans Day Walk. These funds were possible only because hundreds of members of the greater Pearland, TX, community came out on Saturday, November 10 for our fifth annual Veterans Day Walk to honor Texas veterans, to celebrate the freedom their bravery has secured for us, and to raise funds for those still battling Post Traumatic Stress. How much did we raise and where did the money go?
More info…By Allen Irwin. Mental health was never once a topic in my household and when it reeled its ugly head, a purple elephant showed up to the party that was somehow invisible. Crazy to look back and try to wrap my head around the fact that any of this could ever be ignored. Yet, this has been the very same story being told all around the world. Why would anyone want to talk about something that can’t be seen. I found myself sitting in a jail cell detoxing from Oxycontin and wondering where it had all gone wrong. And this was how I disguised my mental health by digging myself a hole that I nearly couldn’t climb out of.
More info…Our 2018 Oktoberfest hikers did not let a little rain dampen their spirits or shorten their hike at Bear Mountain in upstate New York this … More info…
By Zach Davis. The year was 2011. I was both stressed and depressed – largely the result of working on my laptop 70 hours a week. What little free time I had was filled with alcohol and even more screen time in the form of Netflix, YouTube, and the black hole that is social media. One night out at the local watering hole, a friend confided his plan to hike from Georgia to Maine on a path called the Appalachian Trail. This was the first time I had heard these two words used consecutively. Despite not having any outdoor experience or a clear path to escape my current obligations, I committed to join him.
More info…By Judy Gross. The outdoors were my sanctuary – a place I could be alone and explore. I also grew up thinking the outdoors were a women’s sanctuary, that men didn’t go out in nature – I told this to someone recently (a man) and was laughed at – what little does he know – if you look at recent statistics, there are more women than men in many outdoor activities.
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