If you are able, call a friend or someone else to tell them you are struggling. The key is to talk with someone as soon as possible about what’s going on with you.

The “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous talks about the effects resentment has on alcoholics, but it could just as easily be talking about anyone simmering with anger.

Recently, two friends made some negative comments and did some seemingly benign things that triggered painful memories for me.

The hard fact is that you’ll not find inner peace until you accept the offending people or situations as they are. But “acceptance” does not mean that you have to like the behavior or condone it.

It’s one thing to accept the things we can’t change, but it’s entirely another to keep ourselves in that mindset. Being aware of our negative attitudes isn’t always enough to break free from their harm.

One of the primary teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous relates to acceptance. Consider this excerpt from the “Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous:

It’s important to clarify and recognize the cause(s) of your upset. Sometimes the hurtful comments and deeds of others are hard to deal with.

The possibility of a suicide of a loved one is something we'd like to ignore or forget. Some of us deny it. Others can't say the word. It's frightening to contemplate. We think it can't happen to us.

The following "warning signs" can help clarify what thoughts and emotions are influencing your thinking or feeling. These "warnings" can lead to dangerous problems if not dealt with, appropriately.

Recording your trauma enables you to step back from your pain so you can be more objective. It can be like an out-of-body experience that makes it possible for you to view the situation more objectively.

Professional listening, feedback, guidance, and, at times, medications can provide added help and hope. Some folks hesitate to contact a mental health professional such as a therapist.

How I ache for you, dear friend. Very sorry it’s been such an awful time. Of course, in our worst moments, we (me and thee and tons of others) revert to past horrific scenes.

It happened over 120 years ago. On September 7, 1892, James J. Corbett won the first heavyweight championship prize-fight in which the contestants used boxing gloves rather than their bare fists.

How unfair, how cruel . . . of God to take me through this long, drawn-out ordeal. It’s been a tormenting endurance for months, years. I feel trapped in a lose-lose deal.

Most people with severe mental illness are not permanently incapacitated, infantile, helpless persons whom we need to protect.

I desperately wanted to get better, mostly for my family’s sake, and was willing to go to any length to reclaim my life. I longed to be the husband and father they deserved.

Several years ago, I endured one setback after another: medication problems, relationship issues, and personal projects that failed to materialize.

What should I say to a friend who believes the Bible teaches that it’s wrong to make plans? She quotes Jesus’ words as proof that Christians ought not to set goals or make plans,

Where do you go for help, hope, and meaning when painful struggles erode your confidence, shake your faith, and taint your happy times?