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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.

Black Bear July Writing Prompt

Black Bear July Writing Prompt

Summertime sadness or summertime bliss?

Jun 30

Black Bear Submission Guidelines—Updated 2024

Black Bear Submission Guidelines—Updated 2024

And becoming a writer with our publication

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?)

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

Feb 1, 2024

Latest

The Tapestry I Weave

The Tapestry I Weave

The Pattern of My Recovery

Jul 7

The creeping normality

The creeping normality

Seeing things as normal when they shouldn’t be.

Jul 7

How Long Should We Continue to Identify as Addicts or Alcoholics?

How Long Should We Continue to Identify as Addicts or Alcoholics?

Is it helpful or hurtful?

From the Mind of Michael Cline

Jul 7

The Reflection

It’s Far Weightier than I Realized.

Freshly Squeezed Chronicles

Jul 7

Nervous Breakdown in Progress, Care to Join Me?

Nervous Breakdown in Progress, Care to Join Me?

Buckle up, it’s been a bumpy few weeks

Not Even Wine With Dinner

Jul 5

Depression, Regret, and Acceptance

Depression, Regret, and Acceptance

You’re not suffering alone

Julio Angel Rivera

Jul 3

Managing Anxiety is Like Wrangling a Herd of Toddlers

Managing Anxiety is Like Wrangling a Herd of Toddlers

And they’ve all been given too much sugar

Jul 2

My New Best Friend, The Drunk

My New Best Friend, The Drunk

A mirror to my past

Caroline B. Poser

Jul 2

I Walked Out of AA After Two Weeks- And No, I’m Not in Denial.

I Walked Out of AA After Two Weeks- And No, I’m Not in Denial.

I don’t want to stop drinking

Jul 1

I Got Sober To Heal — I Didn’t Expect To Feel So Empty

I Got Sober To Heal — I Didn’t Expect To Feel So Empty

I came so close to drinking yesterday

Jun 30

Getting Over The Shame of Things I Did As An Active Alcoholic

Getting Over The Shame of Things I Did As An Active Alcoholic

It doesn’t go away immediately, but it does go away.

Jun 30

Gamble in Moderation. Quit While You're Ahead

Gamble in Moderation. Quit While You're Ahead

The longer you play, the more you lose

Jun 30

I Survive Heavy Days of Depression by Collecting Tiny, Stupid Joys

I Survive Heavy Days of Depression by Collecting Tiny, Stupid Joys

Happiness isn’t always earned through productivity, sometimes it’s hiding in soup, old t-shirts, and bad dancing.

Jun 28

Depression Isn’t Always a Flaw, Sometimes It’s a Rational Response to a Broken World

Depression Isn’t Always a Flaw, Sometimes It’s a Rational Response ...

When burnout feels universal, the problem isn’t you — it’s the system.

Jun 25

I’ll Never Heal

I’ll Never Heal

Because forgetting would kill me

Jun 23

He’s the Worst One Yet

He’s the Worst One Yet

Low Self-Esteem digs love from the bottom of the barrel

Not Even Wine With Dinner

Jun 21

Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders: Why Integrated Treatment Is Essential for Recovery

Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders: Why Integrated Treatment Is E...

It’s a feature of the human experience…not a flaw.

Lauren Grawert, MD

Jun 21

I Quit Smoking for Ten Days, Relapsed, Then Stopped Again

I Quit Smoking for Ten Days, Relapsed, Then Stopped Again

I fall down, but I get back up again

Jun 19

I Thought My Depression Would Go Silent — Instead, It Started Screaming

I Thought My Depression Would Go Silent — Instead, It Started Screa...

I kept pretending everything still worked: the schedule, the smile, the brain. But my mind felt like a toy kitchen with no power.

Annie Avery 🦋

Jun 19

Are You REALLY an Introvert?

Are You REALLY an Introvert?

Do you exhibit the one core trait that defines introversion?

Chandrayan Gupta

Jun 19

I Felt My Life Fade Away Through Depression’s Grip

I Felt My Life Fade Away Through Depression’s Grip

My journey through the numbness, lies, and silent battles of living with depression.

Jun 19

5 Small Things That Made Me Realize I was an Addict

5 Small Things That Made Me Realize I was an Addict

I can’t believe I missed these

Jun 18

The Simple Process I Use Every Day That Saves Me from My Lower Self

The Simple Process I Use Every Day That Saves Me from My Lower Self

A tool to overcome fear, anger, shame, guilt, and other toxic emotions

Jun 18

Be Careful When You Pick An AA Sponsor

Be Careful When You Pick An AA Sponsor

Alcoholics are all damaged to some degree, some sicker than others.

Jun 18

The pain of nostalgia

The pain of nostalgia

Bittersweet arching for the past.

Jun 18

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