Kelly Burch

Kelly Burch

Bio

Kelly Burch is a writer and editor based in New Hampshire. She is the editor of Renew Magazine, a lifestyle publication for people who are in recovery from addiction. She writes frequently about mental illness and addiction issues, and anything else that catches her attention. You can connect with Kelly and read more of her work on her blog or on Facebook.   

Kelly Burch Articles

Mental illness was a fact in my family, but not something that affected my daily life. Image: Thinkstock.

Growing Up With Mental Illness, But Without The Stigma

By introducing my father’s illness as a fact during a time when his mental health had no negative effects on my life, my parents enabled me to live without stigma, which in turn empowered me to advocate for my father’s treatment when his health took a turn for the worse my freshmen year of college.

Read...
Those living with terminal cancer need support too (Image Credit: Thinkstock)

Moving Beyond The Pink Ribbons

In order to connect with other men and women living with a terminal diagnosis, LoRe founded Hope and Friendship Metastatic Breast Cancer Foundation, which provides a support group in northern Massachusetts, where she lives. Through the support group LoRe has seen the devastating effects of breast cancer, which too often go unnoticed amid early detection and awareness campaigns.

Read...
The pain of the past can be summoned up in something as small as a phone call.

My Parent's Mental Illness Still Affects Me

“You have nine new messages.”

Read...
Paint everywhere? OK.

5 Battles I Won’t Fight With My Toddler

“How many time have I asked you….” I say in frustration, and then it hits me. The real question I should be asking is how many times I’ve uttered that phrase.

Read...
Sticking to the three present rule is much harder for the parents buying presents than the kids receiving.

11 Holiday Truths You Only Understand Once You’re A Parent

I’ve been waiting years to celebrate my undying love of all things Christmas with my child, but now that my toddler is old enough to understand the joys of the holiday season I’ve realized that there are some things about the holidays that only a parent can understand.

Read...
#toddlerlogic

A Week Of Parenting A Toddler — In 12 Facebook Statuses I Didn't Post

Parenting a toddler is invigorating, exhausting, dirty, and intense. But since I want my daughter to have cousins (or at least pseudo-cousins) one day, I can’t always share the truth about my tiny tyrant on social media, for fear that my friends and siblings would never reproduce. And because, sometimes, you just want to project the image that you're calm, cool, and collected.

Read...
There are ways to help a family in mental health crisis.

6 Ways To Help A Family In Mental Health Crisis

No having a community rally in support, like it is supposed to during a crisis, can make a family in mental health crisis feel shamed and stigmatized.

Read...
There is no way you can understand what a big deal being American is, because you’ve always had it.” Image: Thinkstock.

What Immigration Taught Me About The Fourth Of July

While I would like to think that I paused for a minute or two to think about what it means to be American, I was mostly focused on looking forward to the fireworks show.
But all of that changed for me last year. Three weeks before the Fourth of July, my husband became a citizen of the United States.

Read...
Joking about a kid who doesn’t nap is one thing, but I am back from the front lines to tell you that when you’re living it, it is no laughing matter. Image: Thinkstock.

7 Things I Learned From Raising A Kid Who Doesn't Nap

“Sleep when the baby sleeps” is the cruelest thing you can say to a new parent. It sounds oh-so-simple, doesn’t it? Just like my sleep advice sounded all those years ago, before I knew the harsh reality of parenting. It’s impossible to sleep when the baby sleeps if the baby is only down for 10 minutes at a time!

Read...