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


Getting Teen Mental Health Support Was Hard; Choosing to Help Other Students Was Easy
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
Sep 9


Ep. 36 Paige Goble | Shining Light on Shadows: Teen Mental Health—Challenges, Resources and Advocacy
Paige Goble, a 17-year-old senior at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia will be our guest.

Neil Parekh
Sep 9


Being a Mom Can Sometimes Be Very Lonely and Isolating
Being a mother is one of the greatest things in the world, however, no one ever shares how lonely it can be.

Dawn Helmrich
Aug 27


Balancing the Needs of Two Very Different Daughters AND Preserving One’s Own Mental Health
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.

Karissa Gretebeck
Aug 27


Ep. 35 Karissa Gretebeck | Shining Light on Shadows: The Loneliness of Parenting Two Very Different Children
We will focus on the challenges parents face (and the impact on their mental health) when one child is very different from the other.

Neil Parekh
Aug 27


Ep. 34 Michael Wood | Shining Light on Shadows: Parenting After Surviving a Traumatic Childhood
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.

Neil Parekh
Aug 14


Shielding My Kids From Heartache Wasn’t The Best Parenting Choice
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.

Dawn Helmrich
Aug 13


Working for the National Alliance on Mental Illness is Personal
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.

Michael Wood
Aug 11


Body Dysmorphia Is a Distorted Reality; Unfortunately, It’s My Reality
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.

Dawn Helmrich
Jul 31
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