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Black Bear July Writing Prompt

Black Bear July Writing Prompt

Summertime sadness or summertime bliss?
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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Are the Voices My Friends?

Are the Voices My Friends?

I have schizophrenia. What do the voices say?
Go to the profile of Cecilia Fiorucci
Cecilia Fiorucci
I Was Living a Lie and Dying Inside

I Was Living a Lie and Dying Inside

Infidelity, a lost wedding ring, and a world of denial
Go to the profile of Marcia Abboud
Marcia Abboud
How to Wake Up Angry and Resentful Healthily

How to Wake Up Angry and Resentful Healthily

By turning it into a triumphant morning using intuitive IFS therapy techniques
Go to the profile of David Saunders
David Saunders
How to Know When to Quit (And When to Keep Going)

How to Know When to Quit (And When to Keep Going)

I used to believe quitting was for losers
Go to the profile of Madison Clarke
Madison Clarke
Be the Light: Your Recovery is Not a One-and-Done

Be the Light: Your Recovery is Not a One-and-Done

Someone out there needs your inspiration.
Go to the profile of Tom Gavea
Tom Gavea
Echoes of Yesterday

Echoes of Yesterday

A Conversation with God on the Death of my Drug-addicted Son
Go to the profile of Freshly Squeezed Chronicles
Freshly Squeezed Chronicles
I’m an Oxymoron: The Stressed Out Yoga Instructor

I’m an Oxymoron: The Stressed Out Yoga Instructor

No matter our vocation, we are all still human
Go to the profile of Not Even Wine With Dinner
Not Even Wine With Dinner
The Shameful Incident That Broke My Alcohol Addiction

The Shameful Incident That Broke My Alcohol Addiction

I didn’t care I was destroying myself, but I could not tolerate my actions affecting anyone else
Go to the profile of Chandrayan Gupta
Chandrayan Gupta
I Avoided These Things for My Mental Health and Finally Found Peace

I Avoided These Things for My Mental Health and Finally Found Peace

This is how I learned to protect my energy, set boundaries, and walk away from what no longer served me.
Go to the profile of Shaant
Shaant
The Single Moment That Healed All My Trauma

The Single Moment That Healed All My Trauma

It took just one conversation
Go to the profile of Varun Joshi
Varun Joshi
Five Lessons I Have Learned From Dealing With Narcissists

Five Lessons I Have Learned From Dealing With Narcissists

They will try to manipulate you. Don’t fall for it.
Go to the profile of Thomas Morison
Thomas Morison
I See Myself in Those Around Me

I See Myself in Those Around Me

I lost the judgment and found the growth.
Go to the profile of Jacquelyn Luby
Jacquelyn Luby
I Didn’t Realize These Were My Cries for Help, So I Learned to Speak My Pain

I Didn’t Realize These Were My Cries for Help, So I Learned to Spea...

This is the story of my silent screams — laughter that choked me, generosity that starved me, and how I finally heard myself.
Go to the profile of Shaant
Shaant
Doesn’t Everyone See the Lights?

Doesn’t Everyone See the Lights?

My lifelong experience of seeing things that others don’t
Go to the profile of From the Mind of Michael Cline
From the Mind of Michael Cline
I Couldn’t Sleep for Months and Finally Understood It Was My Anxiety Screaming at Me

I Couldn’t Sleep for Months and Finally Understood It Was My Anxiet...

This is how half a year of sleepless nights forced me to confront the anxiety I’d been ignoring for years.
Go to the profile of Shaant
Shaant
Lost in Smoke: A Wake-Up Call for Other Chronic Cannabis Users

Lost in Smoke: A Wake-Up Call for Other Chronic Cannabis Users

My journey from wake and bake to wide awake
Go to the profile of Clifford Jones
Clifford Jones
Will We Always Wonder What We Could Have Done?

Will We Always Wonder What We Could Have Done?

In a suicide, is there a moment that could have changed the outcome?
Go to the profile of Catherine Oceano
Catherine Oceano
The Tapestry I Weave

The Tapestry I Weave

The Pattern of My Recovery
Go to the profile of Tom Gavea
Tom Gavea
The creeping normality

The creeping normality

Seeing things as normal when they shouldn’t be.
Go to the profile of Moe
Moe
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?
Go to the profile of From the Mind of Michael Cline
From the Mind of Michael Cline
The Reflection

The Reflection

It’s Far Weightier than I Realized.
Go to the profile of Freshly Squeezed Chronicles
Freshly Squeezed Chronicles
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
Go to the profile of Not Even Wine With Dinner
Not Even Wine With Dinner
Depression, Regret, and Acceptance

Depression, Regret, and Acceptance

You’re not suffering alone
Go to the profile of Julio Angel Rivera
Julio Angel Rivera
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
Go to the profile of Becca CO 🌵
Becca CO 🌵
My New Best Friend, The Drunk

My New Best Friend, The Drunk

A mirror to my past
Go to the profile of Caroline B. Poser
Caroline B. Poser
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