Joshua Bennett-Johnson continues his teenage DEA informant story. In Part II, secrecy, controlled buys, and a friend’s warning deepen his fear as the work continues past when he expected it to end.

Being told to meditate can feel inadequate when the demands never stop. October Author of the Month Michael Newman considers why burnout recovery may also need rest, support, and changes to draining conditions.

For years, Symon Cope appeared to function while his life narrowed around alcohol. The Descent follows addiction and homelessness, shame, and the difficult recognition that he needed help. Part I comes before next week’s account of rebuilding.

Lauren Flynn found a comedy workshop, changed her surroundings, and began putting down roots. Her personal recovery journey explores the choices that helped her build stability, while making clear that she is sharing her own experience.

Hope, learned patterns, intentional choices, cravings, and a fuller life: John Makohen organizes recovery into five psychological shifts. His framework offers reflective questions rather than a fixed path everyone must follow.

Is it a passing mood or a sign your teen needs support? Chris Coulter shares a parent’s perspective on noticing changes, keeping conversations open, and reaching out for help during a teen mental health crisis.

Meet November Author of the Month Diane Chrestman, LCSW. She introduces Buddhist psychology and the Five Hindrances as a way to notice patterns in emotional pain and approach those experiences with greater compassion.

Last week, Symon Cope described the descent. Now he shares the six lifelines that helped him begin rebuilding life in recovery, from connection and self-development to learning to face responsibility with greater honesty.

After repeated hospitalizations and career disruptions, Ana Ruiz describes rebuilding self-trust and a sense of possibility while living with bipolar disorder. Her personal account explores identity, early warning signs, and the experiences she finds meaningful.

At 17, Joshua Bennett-Johnson was working restaurant shifts while carrying a dangerous secret. In Part I of his memoir excerpt, a phone call, a threat, and a familiar detective lead him to a meeting that changes everything that comes next.