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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.
Mental Health
Depression
Anxiety
Addiction
Alcoholism
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Black Bear January Prompt: What Did You Learn in 2024?
Black Bear January Prompt: What Did You Learn in 2024?
Tell me a story of something you went through in 2024
Michele Maize
Dec 31, 2024
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, 2024
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Clarity in Word: How Sobriety Inspired My Writing
Clarity in Word: How Sobriety Inspired My Writing
How I found myself
Chrissy Janiga, LCSW
Jan 20
My Father’s Will Ruined Our Family
My Father’s Will Ruined Our Family
I lost my three nieces when he cut my dead brother from his will
Marcia Abboud
Jan 20
My Mental Health Depends on the Money I Make
My Mental Health Depends on the Money I Make
My worth has become synonymous with my earnings
James Lloyd
Jan 20
A Mid-Life Reboot
A Mid-Life Reboot
How I taught this old dog some new tricks
From the Mind of Michael Cline
Jan 20
A Month Sober!
A Month Sober!
The first step to the 1,000-step journey
George Kathele
Jan 20
Dog Man: How a Puppy Calmed My Anxiety
Dog Man: How a Puppy Calmed My Anxiety
The joy of being a dog — and a human.
Julio Angel Rivera
Jan 19
Chasing Perfection in Pixels: My OCD’s Love Affair With Social Media
Chasing Perfection in Pixels: My OCD’s Love Affair With Social Media
How the quest for the perfect feed fueled my obsessive-compulsive disorder
Victoria Corindi 🌻
Jan 19
The Relationship Between High Temperatures and Anxiety Symptoms
The Relationship Between High Temperatures and Anxiety Symptoms
Yes, I am feeling fearful of warmness.
Leidy Sabogal
Jan 18
Setbacks Are Not Failures
Setbacks Are Not Failures
They’re a necessary part of life
Patrick Meowler
Jan 18
The Power of Expressing Emotions
The Power of Expressing Emotions
Gabrielle Luk
Jan 17
The Army Forced Me to Quit Therapy
The Army Forced Me to Quit Therapy
To prove I’m mentally fit to travel with my husband overseas, I had to give up the helpful person who was paid to listen to me bitch…
Samia Mounts
Jan 16
Finding Love
Finding Love
Starts with you.
Chris Bunton
Jan 15
Last Year Taught Me the Value of Patience When Dealing With Our Biggest Challenges
Last Year Taught Me the Value of Patience When Dealing With Our Big...
Learning to value progress over perfection
Dana Stankovic
Jan 15
A Ride in the Rain
A Ride in the Rain
A Stranger, a Candy Bar, and the Kindness That Haunts Me
Z.A. Roberts
Jan 14
I Crossed the Atlantic Ocean and It Was Not Enough
I Crossed the Atlantic Ocean and It Was Not Enough
On a mental disorder that collapses millions of people.
Leidy Sabogal
Jan 14
Trying: My Mother and I
Trying: My Mother and I
How my mental illness affects our relationship
Cecilia Fiorucci
Jan 14
It’s Been A Long Time Coming
It’s Been A Long Time Coming
Conducting a Post-Mortem on 2024.
Ruby Noir 😈
Jan 14
What It Feels Like to Live Without Alcohol for 5,789 Days
What It Feels Like to Live Without Alcohol for 5,789 Days
One hundred percent proof people can and do change
Clifford Jones
Jan 14
How To Recognize Privilege When You’re Living With a Disability
How To Recognize Privilege When You’re Living With a Disability
Not quite from riches to rags, but my adulthood has been harder
Michelle Marie Warner
Jan 13
Chase What You Love, Ignore Detractors
Chase What You Love, Ignore Detractors
Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Thomas Morison
Jan 13
Learning How to Ride
Learning How to Ride
What I learned about my sobriety in 2024
David Wayne
Jan 12
It’s Great to Scare the Crap Out Of Ourselves Sometimes
It’s Great to Scare the Crap Out Of Ourselves Sometimes
Insights from my first nerve-wracking open-mic experience
Alison Gee
Jan 12
“I’ll Never Drink Again” and Other Lies of Addiction
“I’ll Never Drink Again” and Other Lies of Addiction
Making promises we just can’t keep as an addict
Not Even Wine With Dinner
Jan 11
How Music From Siberia Saved Me From a Life of Heroin Addiction
How Music From Siberia Saved Me From a Life of Heroin Addiction
Music can calm the savage beast
From the Mind of Michael Cline
Jan 11
How to Interrupt Family Influence of Generational Alcoholism
How to Interrupt Family Influence of Generational Alcoholism
Maybe born an alcoholic, definitely socialized. In some ways, it matters; in others, it does not.
Rev. Dr. Michelle Pederson
Jan 10
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