The best word I can use for the state called suicidal depression is despair. It is a state of complete disconnection and isolation from everyone and everything, a state where life is no longer worth living. Life was monochromatic, devoid of colour or brightness. There was no beauty in the world, only pain and suffering.…
The perspective on top of a mountain is vastly different than from the valley below. Perhaps the greatest gift from the dark side is that it is living proof of the existence of light. If you only live in one state, how do you know if any other exists? Some humans cruise along valley floors,…
I don’t have many heroes, and I certainly didn’t have many growing up. My faith in the adults around me was shattered before I hit the age of reason. In the end, this was a good thing, because it allowed me to be critical of my early childhood programming, as well as my culture, in…
Benzodiazepines are some of the most efficacious, and addictive, pharmacological meds on the market. They are just one of a plethora of “legal drugs” that get prescribed to millions of people, all over the world, every year. The most famous drug in this category is Valium, and housewives took it in droves when it first…
Every reality is valid. Free choice is sacrosanct. There are many levels to our being, and these all have a purpose. It is only when one of these levels gets out of balance that we need to take a second look. Right now, Western societies subscribe to what I refer to as the Cult of…
“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” Charles Bukowski My mental breakdowns were the best gift I ever gave to myself, because they systematically allowed me to break down everything that I thought I was in order to become who I truly am. This process was scary beyond words, because…
As a writer, I often get asked how I deal with “writer’s block.” And the straight answer is that I have never experienced it. I don’t believe in writer’s block, mainly because I am never at a loss for words and I consider writing to be talking with your pen. I actually prefer writing over…
I was eleven years old when I sat down and calculated how much time I could save if I didn’t brush my hair, wear make-up, or tuck in my shirts. I decided that the people I loved for their adventurous lifestyles never stopped to put comb to hair or brush to cheek. Of course, these…
I recently read Designed by Adventure: 30 Years of Outdoor Research by Topher Donahue. It’s a quick read with some great outdoor industry history, but as is usual with works of non-fiction, the best parts are not what’s in there, but what’s been left out. Let’s start with what’s in there: I was relieved to…
I have nothing against pharmaceutical drugs. Anyone who has taken an anti-anxiety pill will tell you that they work beautifully for what they were intended to do. The problem is that we rely on these drugs as a stand-alone treatment instead of part of a comprehensive plan for the emotionally distressed person. After a lifetime…