We all know that the Holiday season can be one of the hardest and most vulnerable times for people in recovery. It may remind us of our pasts and how different our lives are today. I believe this is also a great opportunity to take the time to be grateful for the changes we have made and how different our lives are today. Holidays may hold negative experiences for some or remind us of better times. We may not be able to spend the Holidays with the people we yearn to spend them with and in some cases may have to spend them with people we don’t want to spend them with today. As people in recovery we have learned different ways of coping in different situations and  will share some of my tips and secrets for Holiday recovery.

The end of Daylight Saving Time (DST) brings noticeable changes in the environment that can have significant effects on mental health. This seasonal shift, especially the transition to earlier sunsets, can disrupt circadian rhythms, impact mood, and contribute to disorders like seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

In recognition of Train Your Brain Day on October 13th, I would like to share one of my secrets that I keep in my toolbox and have incorporated them into my Wellness Recovery Action Plan as something that I must do on a daily basis. This is not something that I have made up or can claim any credit for, but merely a tool that was shown to me early in my recovery that I have continued to do for years.

Mental health has long been an overlooked aspect of overall health. However, with growing awareness, advocacy, and research, the conversation around mental health is evolving. One of the major milestones in this ongoing movement is World Mental Health Day, observed annually on October 10th. This day serves as a platform for advocacy, awareness, and mobilization efforts to promote mental health and to provide mental health support.

Today, I invite you to join me on a journey. The map I was given at birth was filled with detours, unexpected stops, fast-paced highways, and scenic routes, accompanied by plenty of bumps and flat tires. Through adaptation and countless obstacles, I navigated a less-traveled road—a highway leading to self-awareness and recovery. I want to pause a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you here today reading this. I know you have faced your own battles, and your presence signifies that you’ve found hope after being hurt and discovered the courage to keep showing up for yourselves. Thank you for allowing me the space to be vulnerable and share my story.

How do we define recovery for mental health? Recovery is generally a well understood concept when it relates to physical illnesses or injuries or substance use. The timeline for recovery is definable as the date that an illness was diagnosed, an injury occurred, or a person stops  using substances (or reduces use in harm reduction). Some recovery programs, such as 12-step, acknowledge that time with a physical item given at specific intervals (30 days, 60 days, 1 year, etc.). Mental health recovery is a bit more nebulous.

In a world that often feels divided by differences, it’s easy to forget the simple yet profound truth that binds us all: our shared humanity. Each day, we encounter many stories, experiences, and perspectives, all reflecting the richness of human existence. Amidst this diversity, one universal thread has the power to weave us together, kindness and empathy toward others who may appear different from ourselves.

About a month ago the US Supreme Court ruled communities can cite and fine homeless individuals for sleeping outside. This ruling empowers city and county commissioners in Montana to implement a ban on sleeping outside such as in a tent, in a park or on the street. The ruling was 6-3 so it was not unanimous. This ruling overturns the 9th Circuit Court which rules over the following states, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. All these states all have high housing prices, a lack of services and tend to lean towards anti homelessness. In Montana we have seen a number of communities such as Kalispell and Lewistown become very vocal when nonprofits have attempted to implement services or temporary shelters for homeless individuals, with a, “Not in my town!” attitude. This of course begs the question. If not in your town, then where? Where exactly should individuals go if they cannot afford housing? This is a complex issue for sure. It seems to me that our leaders lack insight into that complexity. We can’t just move people down the road. The road only leads to another town. Where is issue starts all over again.