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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
  • Guidelines
  • Prompt Stories
    • 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
    Apr 30
    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
    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?)
    Go to the profile of KiKi Walter
    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
    Go to the profile of Michele Maize
    Michele Maize
    Feb 1, 2024
    Latest
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    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
    May 19
    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
    May 19
    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
    May 18
    💜 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 💜
    May 18
    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
    May 18
    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
    May 18
    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
    May 16
    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
    May 15
    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
    May 15
    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
    May 15
    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
    May 15
    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
    May 14
    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
    May 14
    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
    May 13
    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
    May 13
    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
    May 13
    Gifts of Sobriety

    Gifts of Sobriety

    Staying grateful for what I have
    Go to the profile of Shannon
    Shannon
    May 12
    I Wonder if They Wish

    I Wonder if They Wish

    Like I do
    Go to the profile of AJ Wood
    AJ Wood
    May 12
    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
    May 12
    I Relapsed — Addiction Is a Cunning Beast

    I Relapsed — Addiction Is a Cunning Beast

    After three months, twenty-five days, and seven hours of sobriety, I’m back to day one
    Go to the profile of Judy Walker
    Judy Walker
    May 10
    The Day I Stopped Fighting My Thoughts

    The Day I Stopped Fighting My Thoughts

    Luckily, I learned to listen to them
    Go to the profile of Madison Clarke
    Madison Clarke
    May 10
    The reality of antidepressants

    The reality of antidepressants

    They promised freedom and brought a different kind of capture.
    Go to the profile of Moe
    Moe
    May 10
    How Music Can Define Each Moment

    How Music Can Define Each Moment

    The sounds of a lifetime
    Go to the profile of Julio Angel Rivera
    Julio Angel Rivera
    May 10
    Is My Borderline Mother’s Behavior My Fault?

    Is My Borderline Mother’s Behavior My Fault?

    The constant confusion that pervades my brain
    Go to the profile of Varun Joshi
    Varun Joshi
    May 8
    “Have You Been Drinking?”

    “Have You Been Drinking?”

    Ya’ Think?
    Go to the profile of Tom Gavea
    Tom Gavea
    May 8
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