Lights out: Bedtime tips to help you sleep through the night

Do you have a bedtime routine? Sleep is a challenge for many members in the mental health community — over 3,000 PatientsLikeMe members say they have difficulty sleeping through the night. Establishing a regular bedtime and better sleep hygiene is one way to help manage restless nights. Check out some pointers from around the web, and hear… Continue reading Lights out: Bedtime tips to help you sleep through the night

Shout out to The Golden Girls: Shows and movies that “get” chronic illness

‘Tis the season for binge-watching — but the media often flops in its portrayal of people with health conditions. So we’ve gathered patient perspectives on Hollywood depictions of illness and who’s gotten it right (thanks, Bea Arthur). When doctors doubted Dorothy A writer for The Mighty who has multiple health condition recently praised The Golden Girls for it’s portrayal… Continue reading Shout out to The Golden Girls: Shows and movies that “get” chronic illness

Treat yourself: 6 self-care tips for the hectic holiday season

The holidays are stressful enough for people living without illness. When you have a health condition, or care for someone who does, the hustle and bustle of this time of year – plus the sky-high expectations for a magical time – can be physically and emotionally draining. We’ve rounded up self-care tips to help you… Continue reading Treat yourself: 6 self-care tips for the hectic holiday season

Tips on how to find a Psychologist

So, you’re thinking about going to therapy — what are you supposed to do next? We got in touch with Registered Psychologist Sean Keating to ask his advice. Sean has been a practicing psychologist for six years, and currently works as an early psychosis clinician. He focuses on early intervention for young people between the… Continue reading Tips on how to find a Psychologist

Psychotherapy and PTSD symptoms: Your questions answered

Recently, a number of PatientsLikeMe members shared some of the questions they had about psychotherapy and  remission from PTSD symptoms, so we asked Meaghan Zisk, R.N. M.P.H., a nurse and Health Data and Patient Safety Clinical Specialist, to investigate. She took a deep dive into variations of PTSD, psychotherapy types, how they work and resources to help… Continue reading Psychotherapy and PTSD symptoms: Your questions answered

“It started tearing me down early”: Illustrator and writer Howie Noel shares about his upcoming graphic memoir on life with generalized anxiety disorder

Today is World Mental Health day, a day for education, awareness and advocacy, and that’s where Howie Noel’s story comes in. There are more than 30,000 members living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder on PatientsLikeMe, and it’s for people like these, people like him, that Noel wrote his semi-autobiographic illustrated memoir, Float. We recently sat down with him to talk… Continue reading “It started tearing me down early”: Illustrator and writer Howie Noel shares about his upcoming graphic memoir on life with generalized anxiety disorder

5 tips for practicing self-care when your chronic illness is trying to take over

As a woman with bipolar disorder I and PTSD, I can pretty safely say that no two days are the same. There are days when the world is sunshine and roses; life is grand! Then there are days when the inside of my brain is trying to run the show without me, and it’s leaving… Continue reading 5 tips for practicing self-care when your chronic illness is trying to take over

“I finally feel like there is hope for me to have a life that has purpose.” – Member Robin shares her story living with complex PTSD

Robin (survivinglife) is a PatientsLikeMe member living with complex PTSD. Recently, she shared her story with us, from her childhood to now, delving into the hardships she’s faced and how she continues to find the courage to forge through. Content within this story may be triggering for some readers. Here’s her story… I am a… Continue reading “I finally feel like there is hope for me to have a life that has purpose.” – Member Robin shares her story living with complex PTSD

Women’s Health Week: Ginny reflects on motherhood and “the perfect storm” of epilepsy and mental health conditions

In honor of National Women’s Health Week, Team of Advisors member Ginny (Mrslinkgetter) shares what it’s like to live with multiple health conditions – including major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder and epilepsy – as well as grief following the death of her son (who also had epilepsy and major depression). On PatientsLikeMe, hundreds… Continue reading Women’s Health Week: Ginny reflects on motherhood and “the perfect storm” of epilepsy and mental health conditions

Meet Ginny from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

Say hello to Ginny (Mrslinkgetter), a case manager and family partner with Youth Mobile Crisis Intervention living with depression and epilepsy.  She’s also a member of the 2016-2017 Team of Advisors. Check out what Ginny had to say about living with depression and epilepsy, the loss of her son, and how being her own advocate… Continue reading Meet Ginny from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors