Blog

Revisiting Acceptance

There was a time in my life, after my recovery, when I was in a position in which very little about my role, my life, where I would be traveling the next day, and who I spent time with was under my control.   The job of Miss America may seem very glamorous and exciting, but being on the road most days of the … Read More

The COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis Is Coming. Help Is Already Here.

As we continue to practice social distancing and attempt to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus is on protecting our physical health and preventing an overwhelming toll on many of our medical and surgical hospitals.  But as new cases diminish, effective treatments become reality, and – eventually – a vaccine becomes available, there will … Read More

Connection: Now Is the Time

I am an introvert in the truest sense of the word. I hate small talk, love deep and meaningful conversation, thrive on my alone time, and have a very vivid thought life. While I am very much a “people person” and have chosen a field of work in which I am interpersonally engaged all day long, … Read More

Needing a New Definition of Compassion

The outbreak of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, is introducing new words and phrases to our daily vocabularies. It’s also forcing us to rediscover the meaning of concepts that we haven’t used regularly for decades – or, in some cases, centuries. The phrase “social distancing” wasn’t exactly part of the lexicon until recent weeks. Now we’re … Read More

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and the Lifesaving Power of Advocacy

The journey to recovery from an eating disorder can be a lonely one. After an initial diagnosis can come the exhausting search for treatment, battles with insurers, a fumbling in the dark for answers and resources, and little connection to other individuals and families who are also battling the illness. Additionally, there is the feeling that if one speaks … Read More

Fighting Back Against Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Creating a Hope-Filled Winter

The holiday decorations have come down, everyone is back to busy work and school schedules, and we have all settled in for a few dark months before spring.   This time of year can be incredibly challenging: The days are short, sunlight can be rare, and many parts of the country can be frigid. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is recognized in the fifth edition of … Read More

Rethinking Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions get a lot of love and hate this time of year. The diet and other “self-improvement” industries know they can make a lot of money off of people’s insecurities and cash-in, offering promises for dramatic changes (often to one’s external appearance) that disappoint and leave customers feeling like it wasn’t the diet … Read More