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As National Recovery Month comes to a close we bring you a story about . Nuzzled in the foggy depths of San Francisco’s Outer Sunset neighborhood lies Trouble, a tiny little coffee shop known for its quirky menu of limited length and not a lot of flexibility. Two of Trouble’s most famous items–coconut water straight from a coconut and a slice of $4 cinnamon toast–might be easy to write off as an artisan food craze out to get our money, but look behind the price tag and one will find an epic story of the owner, Giulletta Carrelli, using these items to find (and own) her path to recovery after many years of living with undiagnosed schizoaffective disorder.

“At bottom, Carrelli says, Trouble is a tool for keeping her alive. ‘I’m trying to stay connected to the self,’ she says. Like one of her old notebooks, the shop has become an externalized set of reference points, an index of Carrelli’s identity. It is her greatest source of dependable routine and her most powerful means of expanding her network of friends and acquaintances, which extends now to the shop’s entire clientele.”

If you have any stories of recovery you want to share with us, please email Lindsay Harte at lharte@telecarecorp.com.

Many of us start the day being greeted by our local news anchors to catch up on the happenings of our community and beyond. We see their faces daily, but often know nothing about the personalities behind them. Well, this week’s  comes from a former news anchor in Florida, Mark Joyella, as he “comes out” with his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder diagnosis in hopes to address the stigma he feared as a public figure for many years.

“Admitting that I was not well–and was getting treatment–transformed my life, which I realize now, looking back, was headed down a very lonely and scary path,” said Mark. “I kept waiting and waiting for my real life to begin, without making any progress to getting the things that I wanted.”

This is a fantastic, thoughtful, and well-researched article Mark wrote about his mental health and how the media addresses, and often contributes, to the stigma. We want to thank Mark for his courage and hope that you enjoy this article as well.

If you have any stories of recovery you want to share with us, please email Lindsay Harte at lharte@telecarecorp.com.

During September, ɫ��ɫ joins  (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in celebrating .

Recovery is a unique process of change for individuals and can truly only be defined by each person themselves. Recovery for one person may be just a piece of the process for someone else. This year, the theme of National Recovery Month is Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out — encouraging people to speak openly and frankly about mental health and substance use disorders, as well as the reality of recovery, and also raising awareness for the many ways that individuals can use to recognize behavioral health issues and reach out for help.

ɫ��ɫ was founded on the belief that rehabilitation and recovery from serious mental illness are possible, and that people can recover their hopes, dreams, and life roles.

We encourage you to explore the National Recovery Month website, where you can share your voice and tell your story. Through the sharing of stories, people are able to see that recovery is possible.

Your stories are important to us and we’d love to hear them. To submit your story in writing or on video, to be shared internally at ɫ��ɫ, please send an email to Daphne Phillips at dphillips@telecarecorp.com. We look forward to featuring your stories on this blog and in our newsletter in the weeks to come!

During September, ɫ��ɫ joins  (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in celebrating .

Recovery is a unique process of change for individuals and can truly only be defined by each person themselves. Recovery for one person may be just a piece of the process for someone else. This year, the theme of National Recovery Month is Join the Voices for Recovery: Speak Up, Reach Out — encouraging people to speak openly and frankly about mental health and substance use disorders, as well as the reality of recovery, and also raising awareness for the many ways that individuals can use to recognize behavioral health issues and reach out for help.

ɫ��ɫ was founded on the belief that rehabilitation and recovery from serious mental illness are possible, and that people can recover their hopes, dreams, and life roles.

We encourage you to explore the National Recovery Month website, where you can share your voice and tell your story. Through the sharing of stories, people are able to see that recovery is possible.

Your stories are important to us and we’d love to hear them. To submit your story in writing or on video, to be shared internally at ɫ��ɫ, please send an email to Daphne Phillips at dphillips@telecarecorp.com. We look forward to featuring your stories on this blog and in our newsletter in the weeks to come!

As National Recovery Month comes to a close we bring you a story about $4 toast. Nuzzled in the foggy depths of San Francisco's Outer Sunset neighborhood lies Trouble, a tiny little coffee shop known for its quirky menu of limited length and not a lot of flexibility. Two of Trouble's most famous items-coconut water straight from a coconut and a slice of $4 cinnamon toast-might be easy to write off as an artisanal food craze out to get our money, but look behind the price tag and one will find, using these items to find (and own) her path to recovery after many years of living with undiagnosed schizoaffective disorder.

"At bottom, Carrelli says, Trouble is a tool for keeping her alive. 'I'm trying to stay connected to the self,' she says. Like one of her old notebooks, the shop has become an externalized set of reference points, an index of Carrelli's identity. It is her greatest source of dependable routine and her most powerful means of expanding her network of friends and acquaintances, which extends now to the shop's entire clientele."

This year at , you can see watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and herbs flourishing in the garden.  Under the supervision of Lenivie Harris, George Cherry, and Dacharee Briggs, dedicated residents have been tending to their plot with extra care.

The residents describe this project as “fun, interesting, relaxing, and good exercise.” Gloria expresses, “There’s nothing better than seeing everything grow, because it gives you joy and pleasure.” Jerry says, “It makes you work up a sweat, but I don’t mind because it makes you feel good.” Lamarre believes gardening is “excellent exercise to soften up the stiff body.” Linda likes “spending time outdoors because it reminds me of being a nursery girl.”

Year after year, the gardening project continues to bring hope, pleasure, and fulfillment to the lives of our residents.

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