
by Steven Sanchez
The Covid-19 lockdown has been one heck of a roller coaster ride for most Americans. The ones who are most definitely feeling the effects of this quarantine are the mentally ill. Mental health issues are rising among adults during the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The facts are disheartening. From June 24 to 30, the CDC reports that U.S. adults reported mental health conditions in higher numbers due to COVID-19; out of more than 5,000 respondents who were contacted in late June, 25.5% of adults between the ages of 18-24 reported having “seriously considered suicide” due to the pandemic.

by staff
Research reveals that many people dealing with daily stress, financial worries, anxiety, or depression are using CBD products to help. These are the most common ailments that made people become CBD users. Sales of CBD products in the U.S. reached $170 million in 2016 and is expected to grow at a 55% annual growth rate. In the next five years, the industry is expected to reach $1 billion.

by Rebecca Potts
Mental Health Awareness Month coincides this year with one of the most damaging events on mental health this country has ever seen—the Coronavirus Pandemic. We’ve been sheltering in place in California for more than fifty days now, and the uncertainty ahead is heavy to carry and more than most can handle.

by Staff
The past decade has taught us that life is constantly changing and it is not as easy as it used to be to keep a clear and stress-free mind. This does not come as a surprise when we think about how things are constantly changing due to the evolution of technology.

by Sandra Murphy
Melanie Travis has a complicated family life. Most people do, but her family takes it to extremes. She has an ex-husband and a shared pre-teen son. Ex has married Claire who is now one of Melanie’s best friends. Melanie has Sam, her husband of a few years. They share Kevin, a toddler who is a champion at getting into messes. Aunt Peg, well, she’s of the opinion she knows everything and everyone which is pretty much true.

by Steven Sanchez
Suicide amongst Americans has become an epidemic in this country. The statistics of those taking their own lives is staggering. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on average, there are 129 suicides per day; in 2017, firearms accounted for 50.57% of all suicide deaths. Based on research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. for all ages, there is one death by suicide in the U.S. every twelve minutes, and suicide takes the lives of over 44,965 Americans every year.

by Rebecca Potts
Every year, World Mental Health Day is held on October 10 to encourage conversations around mental health and to help educate the public about what it means to live with a mental health condition.

by Steven Sanchez
Feeling blue, by definition, means feeling melancholy, sad, or depressed. On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 17, alternative rock band Blue October, in reference to their 2018 single release “I Hope You’re Happy,” I’d say the Fresno audience came away with that feeling.

by Terrance McArthur
In mathematics, a proof is a way of verifying a hypothesis by building on known facts and theorems. When I tried to explain to two separate people that David Auburn’s Pulitzer-winning play Proof is about mathematics and mental illness, each asked, “Aren’t they the same thing?” The Good Company Players’ 2nd Space Theatre hosts this study in family and prime numbers through August 12.

by Rebecca Potts
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and panic disorder. I had been dealing with all of them for far longer than five years, but I didn’t understand myself well enough to know what was happening. Although, some days, I think I knew the whole time what was going on, and I just didn’t want to face that reality.

by Wasan Abu Baker
Anisa A. Abeytia is a writer and researcher with an interest in Syria, the Middle East, and the Refugee crises. Her work is featured in the Hill, New Arab, Orient, Net English, Middle East Monitor Fremmed, Brunei Times, and the Middle East Observer.

by Christina Agda
In 1987, Joseph Robinson, a young man who struggled with mental illness, died as a result of a violent encounter with the Memphis Police Department in Tennessee.

by Maricela Estrada-Moreno
Birth of a New Brain: Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder articulately written by Dyane Harwood is a touching memoir that portrays a woman’s struggle with Postpartum Bipolar Disorder and the courage that helps her find healing from mental illness.