Relatively Normal

It isn't uncommon that mental fatigue pops up at the most inopportune times.  Most of the time we try to fight through and tell ourselves that it is just part of our everyday process.  However, it can take a huge toll on our mental fortitude and we should be honest with ourselves when trying to get too much out of ourselves.  This week, I talk about how mental fatigue has played a r...

A phrase thrown around a lot is "trying is not good enough."  For years I believed this and would tell others.  However, I have finally come to the realization that nothing can be accomplished without trying especially with mental health.  Once we stop trying, things can go horribly bad.  Whatever you do, keep fighting. keep trying - anything and everything you can to cope with...

What makes today special? The sun coming out? the birds singing? Your best friend calling you? What about the fact that you are here, living it.  Some days are hard, some days are harder.  The simple fact that you are here, we are here, makes all the difference.  We cannot get through the hard times without living them.  Keep placing yourself at the center of your day and make...

The first season of Relatively Normal has been a blast.  Thank you for riding with me through this journey.  As I look back on the first 25 episodes, I want to take the time to thank all those in my life that have been apart of this and say that we still have a long way to go.  I will be back with new episodes in the Spring of 2020.  Have a great holiday! www.derricklawoffice.c...

Too often, when people come to us at their most vulnerable times, we tell them just to be grateful for what they have.  You didn't get that promotion? Well, just be happy you have a job.  Boyfriend broke up with you? Well, be happy for the time you had with him.  These responses possibly aren't just mean, they can really do a lot of harm to someone with a mental health issue.  ...

The last few days have been tough.  I always think that I am totally cured of my anxiety and depression but that it never the case.  I have to keep reminding myself that this is something I have to live with.  And that means, I have to deal with it everyday.  Sometimes, I feel so guilty for feeling this way because I am blessed more than a lot of people in this world. That is w...

We need to talk about race.  Especially black men and mental health.  As a black male that has struggled most of my life, I have seen firsthand how black men tend not to talk about mental health, go to therapy or seek any medical attention due to the stigma the community has about black men expressing their feelings.  For generations, black men have been told that showing emotion in...

At many points in our lives, we will have go through some type of grief.  It could be the death of a loved one, an unfortunate event or just a decision that doesn't go our way.  Whichever it is, there is no rule book that tells you the right and wrong way to grieve.  For most of my life, I have kept constant pressure on myself to grieve in a way that I would not inconvenience those...

Do we control our thoughts or do our thoughts control us? That is a THE question.  After a conversation I had with a close friend, we both admitted that those thoughts inside our head have a funny way of feeding us incorrect information.  This week, I discuss how I have taken control of my thoughts and started to understand how to filter the messages that I get from them.  I know it...

In this 2nd installment of my conversation with Andy Heck, we talk about our upbringing in the Catholic faith and how some of my anxiety stemmed from it.  We talk about our perception of Christianity today and how it can affect the mental state of a young person growing up through all the rituals.  Andy speaks honestly about his beliefs and how they have changed over time and I speak abo...

On this week's episode, I sit down for the first of two episodes with my former college teammate and roommate, Andy Heck.  Andy and I have been really close friends since we met as freshman at Clemson and we are just now having our first discussion on mental health.  This is the first time I have had a guest on the show and the first time I have had an honest an open discussion about my...

Simple question: Why don't we teach young people about mental health and wellness?  Whether you are a teacher, a coach, a mentor or a parent, we teach our kids so many life lessons but don't do the same for their mental health.  Some programs and states have started to do more to help with youth mental health but we are not even close to where we need to be.  With increasing rates o...

When I got in shape and lost some weight, I figured by curing my physical health issues, my mental health issues would just follow suit.  That was not the case.  I had to stop masking my mental fight and take it on separately of other issues.  Once I was able to get the help I needed for my mental health, I was able to notice that I had been masking my true journey. Also, I mentione...

Control means a lot to many people.  Without it, they feel anxious and riddled with thoughts of what could happen.  In all actuality, we only control a small amount of things in our lives but most of of our worry and anxiety is focused on those things.  This week, I discuss how control (or lack thereof) has affected my mental health and what I am doing to cope.

Always striving for an unattainable goal is exhausting and a waste of time.  For those laced with anxiety, we don't expect perfection out of those around us, but we beat ourselves up when we don't live up to our own high expectations.  Being mindful of our actions and feelings can help with this.  This week I discuss how I have become more mindful of this personality trait and talk...

Our cup can only hold so much.  When we mask our feelings and carry the burdens of others without taking anytime for ourselves can lead us to a life that has no room for our own inner emotions.  We need to make time for ourselves and not feel guilty about it.  Once we truly learn how to prioritize our mental health and feelings, we can then lead a fuller life.

Therapy can be scary - opening up to a complete stranger and letting them know your innermost secrets.  For me, the scary part was not how my life would change after therapy but how it might not if I never tried.  This is my therapy journey.

We've come so far when it comes to finally having open and honest conversations about mental health, but we still have a long way to go.  We still need to allow ourselves to be heard when we are hurting inside. Keeping things bottled up leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms.  The more we talk, the better. 

For as long as humans have been on this earth, we have protected ourselves and our families by focusing on those things that scare us.  We have put more emphasis and importance on fear rather than joy.  It may have worked to keep the human race thriving but living a life with a focus on the negative may help you live a life that is longer but possibly not better.

Normal is relative and too many times we base our normal on the normal of other people. Our thoughts and feelings are our own but sometimes we are stuck comparing our emotional state to others.  We also rate our progress of coping with others who might be going thru similar things.  Once we start to focus on our on mental health and progress, we can learn to be mindful of our feelings an...

When pain is tangible and obvious, it is easy to talk about. With mental health, the pain is not always easy to notice so those conversations that are needed do not often happen. It is up to us to lift the stigma on talking about mental illness. We should all strive to become better listeners and friends.

As a runner, I know I talk about running a lot.  I know it can be annoying to some people but when it comes down to it, running saved my life.  I use it for physical and emotional fitness.  In this episode, I recorded the first part before a run and the second part after running 4 miles.  I then explained how my mental state was affected by the run.  I think you will notic...

I wanted to discuss how my relationship with my wife has changed and improved since I started to open up about my mental health.  In this episode, I will discuss how opening up lines of communication with the ones we love can help us deal with the uncertainty of anxiety and depression.

How we look on the outside definitely affects how we feel on the inside.  I have been struggling with body image issues most of my life and it didn't matter if I was big, small or somewhere in between.  I am still working on coping with this and in this episode I will let out some of my most intimate feelings about my mind and body.

We all can have a bad day.  But, what about those really bad days that we a stricken with depression and anxiety and don't know how to cope? In this episode, I will explain what constitutes  a bad day, how I have gotten through them and some steps that we all can take to help us prepare for future bad days.