Random Thoughts

This past weekend I went to see "The Hate U Give" directed by George Tillman. The movie left the audience in a bleak reflective silence. For several minutes no one left the theater. It was as though everyone was left in a sad shock at what we just watched. "The Hate U Give"  has a stark portrayal of life as an African American living in the United States. For me personally, too many parts hit a little close to home, and I had to spend a couple of days thinking about the emotions that were stirred up in me. The main character of the movie is Starr. Starr lives two lives, the life in her urban neighborhood and the life in her suburban predominantly white school. She knows she has to keep this balance so as not to be seen as "ghetto" or as "angry black child." This duality struck a chord with me, as I'm sure it does many African Americans. I grew up in a working class family and went to a predominantly minority school most of my life. I had ...

In the past two weeks American fashion designer Kate Spade and world traveler and chef Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. As people scramble for answers and try to understand why such seemingly happy people would choose to end their lives, a deeper overwhelming theme has once again bubbled to the surface, the state of mental health care around the world. Mental health unfortunately is still an extremely touchy subject. I have written extensively about my own battles with depression, anxiety and suicide attempts . I have been open about my mother's battle with bipolar disorder, dissociative identity disorder and her eventual suicide. People consider talking about mental issues to either be brave or stupid. Dealing with mental health gets you labeled as "crazy." Suicide is seen as a last selfish act. These labels keep many people from being open about their struggles with emotional and mental health. More than 300 million people suffer from depression world wide. It is...

In 2011 while undergoing chemotherapy a friend introduced me to edibles as a form of medication as a treatment to the side effects. The edibles, marijuana infused baked goods, helped to alleviate the symptoms brought on by the chemo. The vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, pain, loss of appetite and insomnia all stopped within 20 minutes of taking it. Not even the OxyContin or Percocet that had been prescribed had the same effect that one cookie did. It was a miracle. Fast forward to today and while I am many years removed from chemotherapy, I suffer from crippling migraines and coughing fits that frequently leave my lungs sore from the radiation induced pulmonary fibrosis incurred while being treated for cancer. Add to this my insomnia, bouts of clinical depression and social anxiety disorder and it's a wonder I can function as a regular person most days. Prescription medications have adverse and often troubling side effects from muscle pain, trembling hands, dizziness, drowsiness and n...