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NEIL PAREKH'S
LENS ON LIFE BLOG
Thoughts and observations on mental health, technology, social media, photography and more.


Watching My Dad Get Older Gives Me a New Perspective on Aging
Mental health gets more difficult the older we get. Things change rapidly and sometimes the elderly get left behind. I think we need to think about those around us that are getting older and what their needs might be.

Dawn Helmrich
Jun 11, 2025


When You Are Older, Your Mental Health is Not a Priority
Ageism is referred to as the last socially-acceptable prejudice by some experts. It’s bad enough in its day-to-day manifestations. It’s worse when it’s practiced by mental health professionals.

Jonathan Boorstein
Jun 11, 2025


Ep. 31 Jonathan Boorstein | Shining Light on Shadows: Ageism in Mental Health Services for Seniors
We will focus on ageism in the delivery of mental health services and the importance of keeping a closer eye on our older friends and loved ones.

Neil Parekh
Jun 11, 2025


Ep. 30 Aisha Sultan | Shining Light on Shadows: "Things We Don't Talk About," A PBS Series on Mental Health
Aisha Sultan just launched a series on Mental Health airing on Nine PBS in St. Louis. She will also talk about her own mental health journey.

Neil Parekh
May 20, 2025


Redefining Motherhood as Your Kids Become More Independent
People don’t talk much about the sense of loss you feel when you are no longer your child's primary caregiver. Discovering a sense of self after so many years of focusing on someone else is not easy.

Dawn Helmrich
May 6, 2025


A Mother's Heartache, A Mother's Resilience
Pictures, videos, memory boxes—these are all that remain of my daughter Adaya, and sometimes, they hold her echo so vividly that they break me all over again.

Amanda Kranz
May 6, 2025


Ep. 29 Amanda Kranz | Shining Light on Shadows: A Mother's Love—An Unbreakable Bond Through Life or Death
Amanda Kranz will share how she has coped with the loss of her daughter, just three months after being born.

Neil Parekh
May 6, 2025


Neil Parekh's Evolution as a Mental Health Advocate
I've had a front row seat for Neil's evolution as a mental health advocate, watching him share more of himself with every episode. Now, he's talking about his recent diagnosis of Adult ADHD.

Dawn Helmrich
Apr 21, 2025


Updating My Diagnosis at 51—It’s Adult ADHD and RSD, Not Anxiety and Depression
I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD last Fall at the age of 51. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is a big way in which it manifests itself in me.

Neil Parekh
Apr 21, 2025


Ep. 28 Neil Parekh | Shining Light on Shadows: Mental Health Advocacy and a New Diagnosis at 51—Adult ADHD
This episode focuses on Neil's mental health journey, evolution as an advocate and recent Adult ADHD diagnosis.

Neil Parekh
Apr 21, 2025


The Inside Story of Writing “The Blue Flower Curtain”
The book is about resilience, perseverance, mental health struggles, addiction—the roller coaster of life packed with a punch of trauma.

Dawn Helmrich
Apr 9, 2025


Ep. 27 Sexual Assault Awareness Month | Shining Light on Shadows: "The Blue Flower Curtain" by Dawn Helmrich
This episode focuses on Dawn's story of being violently raped at gunpoint 31 years ago. More than anything, it is a story of resilience.

Neil Parekh
Apr 8, 2025


After Our Daughter’s Second Suicide Attempt, We Felt Lost and Alone
Family members are a hidden segment that do not receive a lot of attention or support, and they are in pain and suffering, too.

Jim Yu
Mar 25, 2025


Parenting a Child with Social Anxiety Disorder
The truth is you have to allow people with mental health issues, all people, to decide what is best for them.

Dawn Helmrich
Mar 25, 2025


Ep. 26 Jim Yu | Shining Light on Shadows: Borderline Personality Disorder Support for Families
We want the best for our children, but what happens when your child has Borderline Personality Disorder or Social Anxiety Disorder?

Neil Parekh
Mar 24, 2025


Ep. 25 Pradnya Haldipur | Shining Light on Shadows: Managing Mental Health While Still Being Effective At Work
How can employers and supervisors create a supportive environment for people struggling with their mental health?

Neil Parekh
Mar 13, 2025


Cherish Your Memories; Losing Them to Trauma Is Devastating | EMDR Helped
Because I really wanted to know what it was that I had repressed as a child, I decided to have EMDR therapy.

Dawn Helmrich
Feb 26, 2025


Ep. 24 Dawn Helmrich Neuburg | Shining Light on Shadows: Accessing Repressed Memories Through EMDR
Imagine not being able to remember your childhood. Any of it. Because of trauma. Because of repressed memories. This is Dawn's story.

Neil Parekh
Feb 25, 2025


Ep. 23 Tim Fielder | Shining Light on Shadows: EMDR as an Option for Processing Trauma
What do you know about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR? Tim Fielder will be sharing his story for the first time.

Neil Parekh
Feb 11, 2025


The Anticipated Joy of Motherhood; The Devastation of Miscarriage; The Joy of Motherhood
“I still remember the four babies I lost AND I cherish the fact that I have two beautiful, healthy, happy children."

Dawn Helmrich
Jan 22, 2025
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