GenXFemHealthWellness for Women 40+
Personal Stories

Editor's Blog

Real stories from our Editor in Chief, Kristen Shepherd — on sobriety, midlife reinvention, and the messy, beautiful work of choosing yourself.

If I Could Help One Person — Part OneSobriety
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

If I Could Help One Person — Part One

I don't know about you, but I found AA to be so intimidating. Everyone so eloquently told their "story." I felt as if I was still living mine. After years of trying to balance a stressful career in corporate America and a toxic relationship, things had come to a breaking point. I now look at my DUI as a blessing that enacted massive change. Today I have 21 days alcohol free and feel better than ever.

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If I Could Help One Person — Part TwoSobriety
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

If I Could Help One Person — Part Two

No one likes to tell you that the path to sobriety and healing is not linear. Sometimes we try, and sometimes we fail. The most important part if you fail, is to get right back on that horse and try again. For the first few years into my own journey, I was very anxious and unstable. I often found isolation to be my only form of comfort.

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If I Could Help One Person — Part ThreeSobriety
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

If I Could Help One Person — Part Three

To be independent or not to be independent, that is the question. I have always been hyper-independent, but I was finally ready to let that go. Bipolar disorder can be so tricky. A lot of clarity comes from looking in hindsight.

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If I Could Help One Person — Part FourSobrietyNEW
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

If I Could Help One Person — Part Four

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder. The Day I Lost Control. Depression and anxiety have been a constant in my life. After losing my father to alcoholism, I began to self-medicate. For nearly twenty years, I was on a one-way path to self-destruction — and I didn't even realize it.

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If I Could Help One Person — Part FiveSobrietyNEW
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

If I Could Help One Person — Part Five

Sex and Sobriety: What No One Prepares You For. Mania can be fun — why would you want to control a feeling that makes you feel powerful? I didn't get my bipolar diagnosis until I was 45. What came with it, and what inpatient treatment finally taught me about reclaiming my life.

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The Place That Taught Me to Be StillMeditation
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

The Place That Taught Me to Be Still

A Visit to the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. There is a ten-acre piece of land tucked just off Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades where the noise of Los Angeles simply ceases to exist. I need you to understand that I am not exaggerating. The Lake Shrine stopped me in my tracks the moment I walked through the gate.

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Where the World Goes QuietMeditationNEW
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

Where the World Goes Quiet

A Visit to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills. I did not expect to feel what I felt the first time I drove up to the Mandir. You cannot look at a photo of this place and feel nothing — a palace of pale sandstone and white marble rising out of the Southern California hills like something that belongs to another century. I go when I need to remember what stillness feels like.

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When Surviving Looks Like Fighting BackMental HealthNEW
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

When Surviving Looks Like Fighting Back

Understanding Reactive Abuse — and Why Taylor Frankie Paul's Story Matters. If you have ever found yourself screaming, crying, or saying something cruel to a partner — and then been told that you are the abusive one — you may have experienced reactive abuse. It is one of the most misunderstood dynamics in toxic relationships, and one of the most painful: the moment your abuser finally gets what they have been engineering all along.

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The Place That Gave Me My Life Back: My Time at Harmony PlaceSobrietyNEW
Kristen ShepherdMarch 2026

The Place That Gave Me My Life Back: My Time at Harmony Place

In 2019, I checked into Harmony Place in Woodland Hills, California — struggling with both mental health and substance use. What I found there was something I did not expect: I found myself. The counselors were professional and deeply caring. I made lifelong connections and learned tools that I still use every single day.

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Part Six Coming Soon

Kristen's next chapter is on its way. Check back soon for Part Six of the series.

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