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Black Bear
At Black Bear, we share informative articles and personal stories about struggling with mental health and substance use disorders.
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Depression
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July Black Bear Prompt: Loss and Grief
July Black Bear Prompt: Loss and Grief
Tell me about how loss in your life affected your mental health
Michele Maize
Jun 29
Black Bear Submission Guidelines—Updated 2024
Black Bear Submission Guidelines—Updated 2024
And becoming a writer with our publication
KiKi Walter
Jan 5, 2023
What Does the Name “Black Bear” Mean?
What Does the Name “Black Bear” Mean?
(And what does it have to do with mental health and addiction?)
KiKi Walter
Dec 23, 2022
Black Bear Is Now Part of the Boost Nomination Program
Black Bear Is Now Part of the Boost Nomination Program
Looking for high-quality personal stories about mental health, addiction, and sobriety
Michele Maize
Feb 1
I Can’t Be Part of My Son’s Life of Addiction Anymore
I Can’t Be Part of My Son’s Life of Addiction Anymore
Maybe I’m not as strong as I used to be. Or maybe I’ve been enabling him
Catherine Oceano
Jul 18
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How To Support A Loved One With Mental Health Issues
How To Support A Loved One With Mental Health Issues
From my personal experience as a loved one with mental health issues
PatrickMeowler
Jul 18
The Day I Almost Kidnapped a Baby
The Day I Almost Kidnapped a Baby
Grief can turn you into someone you’re not
Kylie van Gelder
Jul 17
Being Raised by Narcissists Leads to Having Boundary Problems
Being Raised by Narcissists Leads to Having Boundary Problems
Being abused as a child will lead to problems saying “no”
Thomas Morison
Jul 17
If You Lost a Loved One to Suicide, Forgive Yourself, Release the Guilt
If You Lost a Loved One to Suicide, Forgive Yourself, Release the G...
It’s hard to hear, but there’s very little you could’ve done
Joe Guay - Dispatches From the Guay Life!
Jul 17
Alcohol Helped Me Feel Human
Alcohol Helped Me Feel Human
I drank to escape being transgender and unmask my autism
Piddling Piddles
Jul 17
Reflections on Birthdays with Hidden Depression
Reflections on Birthdays with Hidden Depression
Sharing the pain of a birthday where nobody knows you are struggling
Hannah Kensaku
Jul 16
Coming Home to Grief
Coming Home to Grief
Navigating Grief While Attending University
the stoic gopher
Jul 16
My 100 Day Alcohol-Free Goal
My 100 Day Alcohol-Free Goal
Meet Kobe
Lisa Yates
Jul 16
Welcome to Grief Club: You Won’t Enjoy Your Stay
Welcome to Grief Club: You Won’t Enjoy Your Stay
Exploring the depths of loss and finding a new normal
Deanna Bugalski 💋
Jul 16
The Day She Died I Really Wanted to Drink
The Day She Died I Really Wanted to Drink
And for the first time in years, I feared for my sobriety…
TOM★LEU
Jul 15
One Evening, of So Many Evenings, with an Addict
One Evening, of So Many Evenings, with an Addict
Inside these walls
Anne Spollen
Jul 15
My Cat is a Recovery Superhero
My Cat is a Recovery Superhero
He has mastered radical acceptance
Andy Spears
Jul 15
One Year Ago, I Finally Walked Out On Alcohol
One Year Ago, I Finally Walked Out On Alcohol
Sobriety isn’t always beautiful but it's very empowering
Blake Shields
Jul 15
Are Drug Users Inherantly ”Uncool”?
Are Drug Users Inherantly ”Uncool”?
Drug users do not deserve violence and hostility
Thomas Morison
Jul 15
Chey: The Gentle Spiritual Badass
Chey: The Gentle Spiritual Badass
How the universe sent in a healer who would become a friend
AND ALSO…
Jul 15
When Your Mother Can’t Love You
When Your Mother Can’t Love You
It’s like death by a thousand paper cuts
J.C. Anne Brown
Jul 15
When I Was Raped at Fourteen, My Brother’s Response Broke Me
When I Was Raped at Fourteen, My Brother’s Response Broke Me
I’d be in my 40s before learning about the ‘Dissociative Disorder’ that occurred when six boys took my innocence
Marcia Abboud
Jul 15
Living with Invisible Depression
Living with Invisible Depression
A personal story about coping with what others cannot see
Hannah Kensaku
Jul 15
My Experience Living in Low-Barreir Mental Health Housing
My Experience Living in Low-Barreir Mental Health Housing
How mental health housing was not good for my mental health
Thomas Morison
Jul 14
I Never Realized I had Trauma
I Never Realized I had Trauma
Until I told someone about it
PatrickMeowler
Jul 14
It’s Wine O’Clock Somewhere!
It’s Wine O’Clock Somewhere!
How clever phrases make drinking less dangerous.
Bernadette E Wallace
Jul 13
“No Matter What, Things Will Be Good.”
“No Matter What, Things Will Be Good.”
My story of overcoming seven years of depression and managing bipolar disorder with the help of a mantra.
Henrique Centieiro & Bee Lee
Jul 13
Accountability vs Cancel Culture
Accountability vs Cancel Culture
How social justice has helped me in my sobriety
AND ALSO…
Jul 12
Five Myths Pro-Marijuana Activates Say
Five Myths Pro-Marijuana Activates Say
The truth of the matter is somewhere in the middle
Thomas Morison
Jul 12
I Quit Smoking Weed After 24 Years
I Quit Smoking Weed After 24 Years
I thought I couldn’t live without it
Leila Johnson
Jul 11
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