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Black Bear May Prompt: Music for the Soul

Black Bear May Prompt: Music for the Soul

Tell me about how music has helped you through a stage in your life
Go to the profile of Michele Maize
Michele Maize
Black Bear Submission Guidelines—Updated 2024

Black Bear Submission Guidelines—Updated 2024

And becoming a writer with our publication
Go to the profile of KiKi Walter
KiKi Walter
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?)
Go to the profile of KiKi Walter
KiKi Walter
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
Go to the profile of Michele Maize
Michele Maize
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Trying to Moderate Alcohol Is the Kiss of Death to an Addict

Trying to Moderate Alcohol Is the Kiss of Death to an Addict

The three thoughts I must banish to stay sober
Go to the profile of Judy Walker
Judy Walker
You aren’t Sober if you Smoke Cigarettes

You aren’t Sober if you Smoke Cigarettes

Let’s stop pretending cigarettes are just a bad habit
Go to the profile of Varun Joshi
Varun Joshi
When Your Past Is on a Different Radio Station

When Your Past Is on a Different Radio Station

Two lives, two playlists — one relationship
Go to the profile of Marcia Abboud
Marcia Abboud
Music As Balm For The Soul

Music As Balm For The Soul

Connecting experiences artistically and making them more enjoyable
Go to the profile of Genka Shapkarova
Genka Shapkarova
On death and being forgotten

On death and being forgotten

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what I’d be leaving behind if I were gone tomorrow.
Go to the profile of Moe
Moe
I Got Evicted for Smoking Weed, but Now I Have More Freedom

I Got Evicted for Smoking Weed, but Now I Have More Freedom

I am done with being told what to do
Go to the profile of Thomas Morison
Thomas Morison
Smoking Controlled Me for Over 15 Years— Here’s How I Stopped

Smoking Controlled Me for Over 15 Years— Here’s How I Stopped

The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
Go to the profile of Luke Westbrook-Manhattan
Luke Westbrook-Manhattan
Morning Reflections: We Bloom In Chaos

Morning Reflections: We Bloom In Chaos

Not everything happens for a reason
Go to the profile of The Ordinary Scientist
The Ordinary Scientist
Hell Is a Hospital Room

Hell Is a Hospital Room

Notes from the space between breakdown and obedience
Go to the profile of Sandy Chang
Sandy Chang
💜 A Letter To My Depressed Self 💜

💜 A Letter To My Depressed Self 💜

And a letter to you if you also experience depression —  I won’t gatekeep
Go to the profile of 💙 Musings of Twenty Somethings 💜
💙 Musings of Twenty Somethings 💜
The Day I Screamed at a Toddler

The Day I Screamed at a Toddler

and What It Taught Me About My Brain
Go to the profile of Pratibha Singh
Pratibha Singh
Why Therapy Didn’t Work for Me — and What Did?

Why Therapy Didn’t Work for Me — and What Did?

To therapy or not to therapy, that is the question?! Here’s my experience. I went into talk therapy last year in the hopes I could heal…
Go to the profile of Luke Westbrook-Manhattan
Luke Westbrook-Manhattan
The Origin of Melancholy: Meet the Nephew of Depression

The Origin of Melancholy: Meet the Nephew of Depression

Discover the key to loving the darkness; it’s your purpose
Go to the profile of Clifford Jones
Clifford Jones
I Was Surrounded by People, But I Still Felt Alone

I Was Surrounded by People, But I Still Felt Alone

What no one tells you about depression is how quiet it can be — even in a crowded room.
Go to the profile of Tamseen Fatima
Tamseen Fatima
From Metallica to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

From Metallica to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

An evolution in personal hype music
Go to the profile of Andy Spears
Andy Spears
Asking For Help When Your Mind Revolts

Asking For Help When Your Mind Revolts

A prelude to treatment is sharing with someone you trust
Go to the profile of Julio Angel Rivera
Julio Angel Rivera
The Thin Line Between Distraction and Addiction

The Thin Line Between Distraction and Addiction

Uncovering an addiction I didn’t know existed
Go to the profile of Laura Tavarez
Laura Tavarez
Hi, My Name’s Jordan and I’m an Alcoholic

Hi, My Name’s Jordan and I’m an Alcoholic

How the fuck did I get here?
Go to the profile of Jordan Hardin
Jordan Hardin
Music Is My Closet Friend, My Fiercest Foe

Music Is My Closet Friend, My Fiercest Foe

Composing the highs and lows of life’s musical melodies
Go to the profile of Barb Besteni
Barb Besteni
Sobriety Didn’t Make Life Exciting — It Made It Real

Sobriety Didn’t Make Life Exciting — It Made It Real

What I didn’t expect after getting sober was the quiet, the boredom, and the strange peace that came with it.
Go to the profile of Tamseen Fatima
Tamseen Fatima
OCD Destroyed My Mind, But it Made Me Invincible

OCD Destroyed My Mind, But it Made Me Invincible

Finding stillness in pure horror
Go to the profile of Varun Joshi
Varun Joshi
I Was a Ritalin Baby — Part Two: I Missed All the Memos

I Was a Ritalin Baby — Part Two: I Missed All the Memos

When ADHD Isn’t Treated, Chaos Ensues
Go to the profile of Not Even Wine With Dinner
Not Even Wine With Dinner
Gifts of Sobriety

Gifts of Sobriety

Staying grateful for what I have
Go to the profile of Shannon
Shannon
I Wonder if They Wish

I Wonder if They Wish

Like I do
Go to the profile of AJ Wood
AJ Wood
I Was a Ritalin Baby — Part One: Teddy Hot Fire

I Was a Ritalin Baby — Part One: Teddy Hot Fire

How to have ADHD in the 70s
Go to the profile of Not Even Wine With Dinner
Not Even Wine With Dinner
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