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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

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.

Jul 13

I See Myself in Those Around Me

I See Myself in Those Around Me

I lost the judgment and found the growth.

Jul 12

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.

Jul 12

Doesn’t Everyone See the Lights?

Doesn’t Everyone See the Lights?

My lifelong experience of seeing things that others don’t

From the Mind of Michael Cline

Jul 11

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.

Jul 10

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

Jul 10

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?

Catherine Oceano

Jul 9

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

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