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As we head into the holiday season, we find ourselves stirred up by bright lights, jingling melodies, and copious quantities of sugar with the onus on being as merry as possible, content with life, and excited for the future. The reality is that life is hard and these mandatory festivities can really draw contrast with just what a dark place many of us writers often find ourselves.
There’s a lot I want to say about writer mental health as, like many, I find myself chased by the black dog on a daily basis and, over the past decade, I’ve suffered three major mental breakdowns, been to a lot of counselling, swallowed far too many prescription pills, and… well… visited “that place”.
I’m not unusual. In fact, based on admittedly casual observations, I’d wager it’s very normal for writers to struggle with their mental health, given that many of us find our greatest pleasure in solitary confinement while living mainly in our imagination.
We are blessed with the gift of hypersensitivity, incredibly high emotional intelligence, and a bottomless pit of creativity that’s just as powerful when it comes to dreaming up stories as it is dangerous when it comes to convincing ourselves we’re worthless and the worst is going to happen.
Even now, after an incredible year watching my words get transformed into a feature…
