It’s been a wild ride at times during 2021 but we made it! Now we can look forward to what the new year brings us. We want to thank you for being a loyal reader and growing with us thru the years. I know we’ll go to new places in 2022.
Be safe if you are out and about on the holiday, we want to see you here next year.
Melinda
Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude!
Thanksgiving is celebrated every year in the United States in November to mark the harvest and other blessings of the past year. It can be traced back to 1621 when a harvest feast was shared by the English colonists ( later known as the Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.
The later feast was hosted to honor the help of the Pilgrims from the Native Americans in developing crops and surviving their first severe winter. The original celebrations lasted for three days instead of one.
One thing you can be sure of is we are all thankful for you every day of the year, your comments, your story, and your loyalty. You make this blog and us better people and we couldn’t do it without your support.
I want to say a special thank you to all the contributors of Survivors Blog Here Mental Health Collaborative. You are strong, your stories are changing lives and most importantly you have changed mine for the better. I’m so proud to know and write with you.
It doesn’t matter if you live in America or not, we all have something to be thankful for. Why not take a minute to reflect on your blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving
Melinda
The list is quite long and I have no doubt a few are missing. Get on board and give a shout-out for the issues closest to your heart. Children’s Grief Awareness Month COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Awareness MonthDiabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month Eye Donation MonthGluten-Free Diet Awareness MonthHome Care & Hospice Month Long-Term Care […]
November Awareness Days —
It’s so easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day and lose sight of what matters. It can be challenging to find inspiration, but there are a few things that will make you feel good about your life. Such include getting your health checked, continually chasing all your dreams, getting that promotion at work, attaining […]
Things That Will Make You Feel Good About Your Life —
Photo by Emil Bju00f6rkman on Pexels.com A good morning routine can set you up for a great day. What is your ideal way to start the day? Bella Grace by Stampington Melinda
Everyday Magic —
I’m excited to introduce you to Lin Health. They are a Pain Management platform like no other. This is not your average app, Lin Health offers you one-on-one support with a trained Health Coach who you talk with on a regular basis. She is intimately familiar with your health and medical background thru their support […]
Introducing Lin Health, A New Way Forward In Pain Management —
Anxiety, chronic pain, and depression are among some of the most common issues in the world and a lot of medicines do not fully assist with these symptoms. That is why there are plenty of alternatives that can assist, such as CBD. There are plenty of different types of CBD and they work in different ways. […]
Here’s Some Ways To Help Alleviate Your Anxieties —
Anxiety affects more people than you might realize. Now that mental health is becoming less stigmatized, it’s becoming more normal for people to talk about their anxiety and put it out there in the open. But just because more people are talking about it, doesn’t mean that coping with anxiety itself is getting any easier. […]
Ways To Cope With Daily Anxiety —
This month’s August Chronic Illness Writing Prompts by A Chronic Voice are Wandering, Catching, Compartmentalizing, Regenerating, and Visiting. I chose three this month, Regenerating, Wandering, and Compartmentaling to write about. You will see Regenerating is where I feel the most passion. I’m feeling so regenerated in life and my future. I have made a plan […]
August Chonic Illness Writing Prompts —
IDEAS.TED.COM Jun 29, 2021 / Brianne Patrice + Taylor Blossom Nadine Redlich When people are trying out a new therapist, they often tend to put the therapist in the driver’s seat during their initial sessions. But this isn’t quite right — the client should be an equal partner too. What else should people keep in mind during that process? […]
How to find the right therapist for you —
IDEAS.TED.COM Apr 14, 2020 / Kara Cutruzzula Glenn Harvey This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here. To be human is to get defensive. When we’ve been questioned or criticized at work, it’s fair […]
The #1 block to teamwork is defensiveness. Here’s how to defuse it —
I chose this photo because when I think of the type of environment we wanted to create at Survivors Blog Here, it’s an embrace. Embracing who you are, where you are, embracing you as you take steps forward and the occasional step back.
Survivors Blog Here was created by three friendly bloggers, Army of Angles, Hyperion and myself, Looking for the Light. We had our own baggage and had been there for each other thru some difficult times. We wanted to take our collective knowledge to help others. Survivors Blog Here was the first name that came to mind and we were born in that early morning hour.
We support men and women Survivors from every walk of life. Struggles with Trauma, Violence, Mental Illness, Child Abuse, Chronic Illness, and more. We’re here for you.
Providing support as you work towards healing, taking steps forward, moving beyond the pain and struggle. We’re a collaborative of like-minded writers and photographers with a mission: to offer a creative, honest and safe place to gather. We offer support from a team of Survivors with diverse backgrounds, we believe everyone has a story to tell.
Our writers offer an interesting perspective, humor and wealth of knowledge through personal experiences. Each writer has their own blog, be sure to stop by their individual sites. Your questions and comments are important to us, you’ll get honest feedback even when it’s not want you want to hear. Everyone is important.
One of the keys to success at Survivors Blog Here was having other great contributors join the group and add their story, we all have one, sometimes ugly but all worth telling. We have a great team of contributors who have come and gone over the years but their legacy last in our archives. There is a wealth of knowledge of every imageable subject in our archives, be sure to search thru them for a gem you might be needing.
The Pandemic has been hard of many of the contributors who were having their own struggles before the most difficult times hit. Many contributors you haven’t seen in a long time, I miss them too. I’m confident our trusted contributors will return once life is less stressful and they are feeling more creative.
I want to thank the Contributors who have soldered on thru these difficult times to continue with informative, helpful post and to be there for everyone who needs their support. I truly appreciate your commitment.
Survivors Blog Here like all blogs has evolved like each of us do and I would love to hear from you on what you would like to see from us as we move forward. That’s been a key saying for us, Keep Moving Forward, let’s move forward together. I need you input.
I want all your comments, the good, bad, and the ugly. I want to know what you feel is missing in the blogging community and how do you think we can fill that need. I continue with our original mission but we are evolving and will add to our mission as we grow.
Melinda
Cancer Survivors Day was on June the 6th and I let it slip by without a short post about my Cancer experience. Photo by Darina Belonogova on Pexels.com At 28 years old I was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. Several minimally invasive procedures were performed but they were unable to remove all the Cancer without a […]
Cancer Survivors Day —
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com This is a popular post from years gone by that ties in perfectly with Lyme Awareness Month. The post has been added to over time and will no doubt repeat some things. Try to look at it as segments. Just like the span or segment between the last entry and […]
May Is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, BE AWARE! —
If you’re looking for ways to support your mental health but you don’t know where to begin then don’t worry, not alone. Although it can be overwhelming, you need to be sure you’re doing all that you can to look after yourself, including your mental health. Luckily, there are lots of ways in which you […]
Small Ways To Look After Your Mental Health Every Day —
IDEAS.TED.COM May 7, 2020 / Glennon Doyle Michelle Kondrich “What we need right now is more women who are full of themselves,” writes activist Glennon Doyle in her book Untamed. One thing that can hold them back: Unhelpful and unhealthy beliefs about being a mom. Every generation of parents receives a memo when they leave the hospital […]
The memo that all new moms and dads should receive —
My Journey It’s been a long time since I’ve written about my Mental Health and since it’s Mental Health Awareness Month I can’t think of a better time. Photo by Thiago Matos on Pexels.com I’ve been stable for about three years and it was a long journey during that depressive period. After being stable for […]
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month, My Mental Health Update —
A few weeks ago I participated in a collaborative post for Fibro Directory and I wanted to share the complete post. I’ve also included some additional posts from other great bloggers who posted their Fibromyalgia tips. What is Fibromyalgia? It’s a difficult question and even more difficult to diagnose. If you feel you have Fibromyalgia […]
Today Is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day —
Jane from D’Amore Mental Health contacted me and asked if I would include their organization on my resources page. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I can’t think of a better time to add a new Mental Health resource. Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com Child Abuse and Childhood trauma can impact a person […]
D’Amore Mental Health —
Carrying trauma from your childhood is so draining and it has far-reaching effects on your physical and mental health. Many people experience flashbacks and PTSD symptoms after surviving sexual abuse as a child, but often, the impact is less direct. Even those that do not think about the abuse itself that much and assume that […]
How Childhood Sexual Abuse Causes Physical And Mental Health Problems In Adults —
Despite having Chronic Lyme Disease, Fibromyalgia, Hypogammaglobulinemia, and Dementia, I’ve been relatively healthy for the past six months. I count my blessings and chalk it up to some big lifestyle changes. I believe self-care is the things we do every day to stay healthy, not just the special moments we spend taking care of ourselves. […]
Every Day Health Hacks —
WaveLife is now Vital Field with a new mission and innovative new products. I had the opportunity to test and review the No Pain Energy Cell earlier in the year with great success. I have heard from many of you that you purchased the No Pain Cell and also found pain relief. You will be […]
Vital Field Former WaveLife *New Mission New Products —
WAVELIFE Dear Friend, The secret to successful and permanent chronic pain management comes from understanding and dealing with the human condition both from a physiological and emotional perspective. Therapists in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany who have used professional Vital Field techniques for chronic conditions for decades stress the importance of combining sound lifestyle adjustments with […]
The 360º Journey To Health & Painlessness —
My Bucket List includes seeing the world. I made that goal at age thirteen before I had traveled out of the United States. At twelve years old I wanted to be a Photo Journalist for Life Magazine. I love vintage cars and motorcycles. I will own a 1963 Corvette someday, that’s the year I was […]
Ten Things You May Not Know About Me —
YOU’RE INVITED!Join us for our 8th annual Revels and Revelations, a night of celebration and inspiration.Mental health conditions during the pandemic are disproportionately affecting young adults. Research shows that the prevalence of anxiety disorders has tripled since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students need support now more than ever. We hope you can join us! For more information on […]
Revels & Revelations With The Smith Family: Will, Jada, Trey, Jaden & willow —
Thank you Abbott for sponsoring iPain 2020 chronic pain awareness month activities. Join the International Pain Foundation for Chronic Pain Awareness Month. Below are 30 facts about chronic pain we will be bringing awareness to in the month of September. Feel free to like, share and retweet our graphics and facts about chronic pain on […]
iPain 2020 Chronic Pain Awareness —
I’m excited to let you know next month starts Pain Awareness Month. Over the past couple of years, you have seen posts from me for the U.S. Pain Foundation. I’m a Texas Ambassador and do advocacy work for them. While I haven’t been able to physically support my advocacy efforts, I do share important […]
September Is Pain Awareness Month —
I’ve been using the Redeem Therapeutics Spray 750mg Hemp Extract in the mint flavor for close to a year now. I love the flavor and consistency of the spray. I’ve tried oils and dislike the residue left behind. The spray does not leave any oily residue and has a light mint flavor. The original flavor […]
Review of Redeem Therapeutics Full-Spectrum Organic Hemp CBD Products —
Willow & Sage by Stampington You will need Wooden diffuser sticks or other suitable decorative sticks Lavender essential oil Tea Tree essential oil Fractionated Coconut oil Glass bottle Blend essential oils into fractionated coconut oil at a ratio of about 1-4, fill glass bottle halfway and insert sticks. Use a bottle with the smallest opening possible, […]
Clean Your Air With A Homemade Oil Diffuser —
It’s been years since I gave Survivor’s Blog Here a facelift and today started looking around at options. Does this theme work for how you like the post to pop out on the front page. What is missing?
I want to hear your feedback not only about the theme but what you would like to see more of from Survivor’s Blog Here. I want the good, bad, and the ugly.
The COVID 19 virus has affected several of our contributors, I’m sure you’ve noticed less blogging in general. This to shall pass and I’m committed to making Survivor’s Blog Here a safe space for everyone to talk about their trauma, chronic illnesses, mental health, and recovery.
As we move into our seventh year I’m excited about the future, committed to growing the community, and getting you involved in shaping our growth. We would not be here without you, your stories, and your feedback.
Please take a minute to let me know your thoughts. I look forward to reading your comments and making changes as we grow together.
Melinda and Team
Willow and Sage by Stampington Essential oils can be used to soothe and help heal many ailments, and they are a great resource for relieving pain. Specific oils treat certain types of pain naturally without causing uncomfortable side effects that sometimes come with medications. Here we’ve broken down which oils are best to use […]
Naturally Treating Aches with Essential Oils —
News | August 17, 2020 Health and well-being company Humana Inc. announced a pilot home-testing program that will enable at-home COVID-19 test collection for members, making Humana the first insurer to offer LabCorp’s at-home test-collection kits. Humana also announced an innovative new collaboration with Walmart and Quest Diagnostics to help members more easily get tested, […]
Humana To Offer LabCorp At-Home COVID-19 Test Collection & Drive-Thru Testing —
| More than a half a million messages, check. Greater than 70,000 theme-specific threads, check. Now surpassing 15,000 registered members — that is incredible! As we pass this milestone, we want to sincerely thank both registrants and guests. Now — in this time of the pandemic — the forum and chat room provide an even greater need for hope, healing and support. Today, more than ever, the MaleSurvivor organization serves as a unique “24/7” lifeline to survivors. Note that there are even many more participants who are guests, and never register. So — as a reminder — registration is anonymous and confidential. We NEVER share our database with ANYONE EVER. Registration is FREE and only requires a valid email address, which remains confidential. This enables you to reply to the verification email that our forum software sends out, after you register. |
| Visit our new MaleSurvivor YouTube Channel Watch recordings of our free Webinar of Recovery series, a continually growing resource… — MaleSurvivor 25th Anniversary: an interview with Ken Followell, who started out as a participant in the forum, was then inspired to become a volunteer and eventually served as President of the Board of Directors of MaleSurvivor.org.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP7Kc6_X3K0&t=24s — MaleSurvivor Webinar of Recovery: Empowering Survivors of Sexual Abuse to Hold Abusers Accountable, a discussion concerning legal and personal strategies for confronting one’s abuser.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiw66B9ISg0 — MaleSurvivor Webinar of Recovery: Howard Fradkin, Ph.D In this webinar, Fradkin — a highly respected therapist, expert about abuse, and co-founder of MaleSurvivior — engages in a panel discussion focused on protecting children, adults and families from physical, emotional and sexual abuse.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4iZILiGVig |
I can’t think of a better year to celebrate International’s Friendship Day! No doubt our friends have helped us keep our heads above water in these difficult COVID times. Be sure to let your friends know how much you appreciate them today. Melinda
International Friendship Day —
Today was the third day of professional development for teachers, pandemic style. Everyone has to have their temperature taken at the front door, and log their answers to the Covid-19 questions on a google form. Then it is each teacher to his or her classroom to log on to distanced training. I never realized how […]
Pivot! — Army of Angels: Part 2
My journey continues as I look for reasons for the ongoing hair loss and what can be done to slow the process down. Here are the steps taken since my last post. I started taking a Bioton supplement on July 26th after reading the number of positive reviews on Amazon. People mentioned stronger nails and […]
Let’s Talk About Hair Loss *Natural Remedies —
Vacuumed kitchen and dining room. Mopped kitchen. Applied cuticle cream twice. Vacuumed part of the living room, still need to clean the floor. Potted two house plants. Enjoyed a candle for a few minutes. Emptied dishwasher. Woke up 4:00 A.M. with the puppy. Haven’t taken a nap. I cleaned up but no shower, those […]
Fibromyalgia Thoughts #4 Living Without A Flair —
Survivors Blog Here is celebrating our six anniversary with a big celebration! Come by, say hello, browse and read a few posts while enjoying the refreshments.
We could not have made this journey without the thousands of guests on our site. I want to thank each of you and let you know you’ve made an impact on the community. I look forward to more guests and want you to know our Contributors and followers appreciate you.
Survivors Blog Here continues to evolve, shaped by life experiences and your feedback. Thank you for taking the journey with us, we learn from you every day. If you’re unfamiliar with our site, we’re a collaboration of writers with different backgrounds and challenges. Supporting men and women as they work thru a trauma, taking steps forward, to move beyond the pain. https://survivorsbloghere.wordpress.com You can learn more by reading our “About Us” page.
I’m honored and humbled to work with Contributors past and present who share their experiences, pain, and triumphs with a deep desire to pay it forward. I believe they shine a light on the human spirit.
Robert M. Goldstein http://robertmgoldstein.com
Casey Alexander http://hypervigilant.org
Surviving the Specter http://survivingthespecter.wordpress.com
Hyperion http://returnofdragons.wordpress.com
sedge808 http://sedge808.com
Army of Angels https://armyofangelspart2.com
Positively Alyssia http://fightmsdaily.wordpress.com
Life with an illness http://lifewithanillness.com
Chronic Pain with a Higher Perspective http://validatingchronicpain.com
Adi’s Wings http://adiswings.com
A Patients Voice http://apatientsvoice.wordpress.com
Alexandra Hampton http://journeyintoa.wordpress.com
Looking for the Light Blog https://lookingforthelight.blog
Marcus http://survivorroad.wordpress.com
Owning It Log http:owningitlog.wordpress.com
Don’t Lose Hope http://sexaddictionpartners.wordpress.com
We invite you to join us on the journey ahead.
Your voice is important, your comments are read and we listen without judgment. Please let us know what you like and what you don’t, the good bad, and ugly. Are there other topics you would like to see addressed? We’re listening.
What if I am not as resilient as people say? What if I am not as mindful as people think I am? With a lot of therapy and personal awareness, I find myself asking these questions. Throughout the last few months, my exploration has led me to two conclusions. The first that uncertainty and not […]
Boxed In — A Patient Voice
Today was the first day back to work for teachers in my county. We all went to our rooms, and met remotely as a faculty. Three of my peers were remote from home, in quarantine due to having been exposed, or waiting for test results. Another school had an administrator test positive, and much of […]
Lift Off- First Day — Army of Angels: Part 2
Philips Diamond Clean Smart Toothbrush Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart toothbrush delivers unbeatable performance and great looks, giving you a month’s worth of manual brushing in just two minutes. Get 100% coverage with 100% confidence. I love how the toothbrush has five different cleaning levels and the two minutes shut off. I now brush for […]
Things I’m Loving —
Fighting depression can be really hard. Here are some things you can sometime help: 1. Acknowledge how you feel, and accept that this is going to be a more challenging day. 2. Commit to doing the absolute essentials but don’t push yourself to do everything. 3. Prioritize what’s important. For example, if you have a […]
How to Stay on Top of Life when you Feel Depressed — Coaching Skills International
The countdown to return to work continues. I am a public school teacher in Middle Tennessee. Our state is quickly moving up the worldometer COVID-19 tracker. Over the course of about a week, our state moved from 17th to 14th. All of the counties in our state had to submit a “continuous learning plan” this […]
4 Days- Countdown to Re-entry — Army of Angels: Part 2
I have determined my hair loss is due to a number of factors, age, post-menopausal, genetics, and several medications that are taken. There isn’t anything I can do to change the amount of hair falling out but keep my scalp clean in order to keep the follicles open instead of clogged, preventing hair growth. One […]
Let’s Talk About Hair Loss * Men’s and Women’s* —
We often forget how polluted our indoor air is, it’s not the same reminder we get while looking at the air over the city. I have several air purifiers in the house since the air in the closet large city can get quite bad. After finding the information on how house plants clean the indoor […]
Clean Your Indoor Air With Plants —
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Things I’m Loving —
I’m working on a post about hair loss after this shocking discovery from washing my hair yesterday. I now have medium length hair and it was brushed before my shower, this amount of hair loss doesn’t make sense. I’ve known about my hair loss for some time but yesterday’s discovery was a slap in the […]
Does This Look Familiar To You? —
IDEAS.TED.COM Jun 29, 2020 / Sakinah Hofler This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through all the posts here. I have a question for you. Have you ever seen something and you wish you could have said something […]
How writing about difficult experiences can help you take back your power —
If you suffer from chronic pain chances are you’ve taken addictive pain medication or at least talked to your doctor about finding pain relief. With limited alternatives for those looking for consistent pain relief, many are faced with the tough decision to take addictive medications. If you read about drug addiction, you’ll often run across […]
Let’s Talk About Addiction — Looking For The Light
We have First Aid Kits for Physical Health and Injury, which contain things like Antiseptic Wipes, Plasters, Bandages, Slings and Surgical Tape. So why can’t we have a Mental Health First Aid Kit. One we can turn too when we are struggling with our Mental Health or our Anxiety is paticularily high and causing us […]
My Mental Health First Aid Kit — Purple Butterflies and Winter Dragonflies
Survivors Blog Here Mental Health Collaborative 
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