YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Hi Jules. Welcome! Reading your intro I thought, "hmm...this sounds a lot like me..." I've only recently started paying more attention to the forums, and I find it so helpful to read about people who have similar issues. It makes me feel like less of a freak. I know that sounds bad...I don...

fifthsonata, I wish I could give you a hug. And a bandage. I relate to your desperate question about WHY???? It's so hard to make sense of depression. It just feels ridiculous that you can't explain why the world is so painful to you. I have never been a cutter, but I do other things instead. Eat, m...

Wow. I've got a lot of conflicting thoughts after reading that post. First of all...yes, compared to many other countries around the world, many Americans are quite fortunate to have what we have. Our country has a lot of faults, but in general we have much to be thankful for. I have suffered from d...

I grew up on Long Island too. Also, I'm Italian, and I make some mean meatballs in sauce.... I just listened to this podcast for the second time. I'm really grateful for people like Brenda, who are brave enough to fight through the obvious fear and anxiety they feel. There are a lot of us who have b...

I'm glad to read all of these opinions of birthdays. I turned 37 a couple of weeks ago, and as the years go by birthdays get harder. Not because I hate getting older, but because I hate this growing list of things I haven't done yet... I'm single, I don't have a "real" career, I'm STILL no...

Wow. Thanks for the welcome! I'd like to respond personally to them all, but trying that on my iPod would drive me batty. Just wanted to say thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Now I will try to get back to sleep. Did I mention my crippling insomnia....?

Have you ever hugged a tree? Just wrapped your arms around a trunk and put your face in the bark and felt the strength and the solidity and the LIFE? I highly recommend it. The forest and the ocean give me strength when I think I cannot possibly go on for one more day. The birds and the insects focu...