We have had a rough start to the year. What about you? If the New Year has started off well for you, we would love to celebrate something. If you’re also struggling, know that you’re not alone.

There’s a myth that when perimenopause is over, mental health issues simply go away. If you are post-menopause, was that your experience? If your partner is post-menopause, did all of your partner’s issues get resolved?

For our discussion on Perimenopause, we will be joined by Dr. Ellen Albertson, who serves on the Medical Advisory Committee for the National Menopause Foundation; Lisa Falcone, CRNP, who is currently in Perimenopause and works as a nurse practitioner at the Lifecycle™ Wellness and Birth Center; and Aisha Sultan, a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch who has written about her own experience with Perimenopause.

When the doctor mentioned the words bipolar 2 disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and PTSD, all at once the floor crumbled underneath me.

Getting a Mental Health Diagnosis can often bring clarity. What happens when it forces you to reframe long-held beliefs, or contradicts an earlier diagnosis?

Grief can take many forms. The most familiar is when we are faced with the loss of a loved one. There are rituals of mourning, familiar ways of providing comfort and an accepted and understood common language that we use to show our support. What about when we grieve the loss of an Identity? Or the loss of a Relationship? A Job? A Dream? Although the emotions might be similar, there are often no rituals, no common language.

I’m telling this story because I want you all to understand that when I say I get it, I really mean it. I’m committed to doing everything I can to make sure our national office provides world-class support to all its Alliance members. Because that’s where we’re improving and even saving lives—on the ground, in communities, one person at a time.

Paige Goble, a 17-year-old senior at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia will be our guest.

Being a mother is one of the greatest things in the world, however, no one ever shares how lonely it can be.

I often find myself caught in what I call the ‘in between’. Living life in the moments between where I had hoped we would be and where we are in this present moment.

We will focus on the challenges parents face (and the impact on their mental health) when one child is very different from the other.

We will focus on the challenges of parenting after childhood trauma AND what we do to control the narrative (what we share about our families) even at a young age.

Growing up I had to take care of myself a lot. My dad was an alcoholic and my house was often very chaotic. I never wanted to have friends over because of this secret we kept in our family. I spent a lot of time at other kids' houses realizing that things in my house were not normal.

I’m telling this story because I want you all to understand that when I say I get it, I really mean it. I’m committed to doing everything I can to make sure our national office provides world-class support to all its Alliance members. Because that’s where we’re improving and even saving lives—on the ground, in communities, one person at a time.

The reflection of myself in the mirror shows me a distorted reality. What I see is a two-ton Tessie, an overweight, ugly being. Someone who doesn’t deserve anything. This is body dysmorphia, and it is a real thing.

Body dysmorphia isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just this persistent hum in the background—a cycle of self-criticism, shame, and comparison. A sick feeling when you look at yourself. A need to hide. A voice that takes every reflection and turns it into something cruel.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition characterized by an excessive and distressing preoccupation with perceived flaws in one's physical appearance.

Even when you have put in the work, even when you have learned the tools or the art of setting boundaries, there may still be circumstances and people that you struggle to create or establish healthy boundaries with. Keep putting in the work. Your mental health will thank you. You owe it to yourself to set healthy boundaries and protect your peace.

Boundaries are very good to have, but when it comes to people who have experienced trauma, that can be a challenge. I think it is important to reflect on where you are in your life no matter what age you are, and understand that things can always be better if you focus on what can make a difference for you.

There are so many different ways to approach this issue. Boundaries at home, at work, with friends, with strangers.