The biggest lesson that I have learned from being diagnosed with a chronic illness is turning my struggle into purpose. In my eyes, I had two options - one where I could be sad and let my disease affect my life, and another where I could use it to my advantage and lead my life… Continue reading Turning Struggles into Purpose
Tag: mental health
Creating Your Community
When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, I had no idea how important my community was going to be for me. Hearing the words - "you have a chronic illness" - is NOT easy to comprehend or incorporate into your daily life. I struggled for a few months and decided to only lean on… Continue reading Creating Your Community
A Book Review: The Mind-Gut Connection
I stumbled upon a book titled The Mind-Gut Connection by Emeran Mayer, MD at Sundance bookstore here in Reno recently. It was not a book I was really looking for, but was misplaced on the shelf and the cover caught my eye. I have written a previous blog post about the brain-gut connection and how… Continue reading A Book Review: The Mind-Gut Connection
Living With Gratitude
When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, practicing gratitude was hard. How could I be grateful that I got a chronic, autoimmune disease with no cure? Those of you that know me personally know that I am a Catholic, faith-based woman. I grew up in the Catholic church and actively practice my faith. My… Continue reading Living With Gratitude
Lessons I’ve Learned Living on My Own
It has been one month since I moved out of the comfort of my parent's house. While this month has been the toughest month of my life, I have learned a lot along the way. Living on your own is definitely not easy. It requires a lot of extra effort, which sometimes I do not… Continue reading Lessons I’ve Learned Living on My Own
Letting Go of Fear
Don't let fear dominate your life! Too often, I use fear as an excuse not to do things. Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, I tend to let fear set invisible limits on what I can or cannot do. I exceed those limits every single time, teaching myself that I am much more… Continue reading Letting Go of Fear
Falling Victim to Comparison
Comparing yourself to others is a losing battle. Being a young adult in this modern world, I find myself in this trap often. But being a young adult with a chronic illness makes falling victim to comparison ten times easier. The use of social media specifically has fueled the art of comparison and causes many… Continue reading Falling Victim to Comparison
The Truth About Happiness
I often get people asking me "How are you so happy all the time?" My response has always been 1) because I have a strong Catholic faith and 2) I have a positive outlook on life. I choose not to let negative circumstances determine my future. When I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it took… Continue reading The Truth About Happiness
My Tips for Better Mental Health
Yesterday, I participated in a Mental Health First Aid training for work. The purpose of the training is to be prepared to understand, identify and respond to someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Mental Health First Aid doesn't teach you to be a therapist, but it does teach you how you can… Continue reading My Tips for Better Mental Health
Trust Your Gut (But I Can't!) 