CW: Discussion of mental health conditions such as OCD, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders and more. As we go about our everyday lives, we often overlook the way that language shapes the narratives around us. Not only does speaking about mental health directly contribute to attitudes around it, but there are also words and phrases incorporated […]
Living on your own for the first time can be a huge adjustment-especially if the people you’ve been living with, whether family or friends, have been with you for a long time. Environments likely change, from the specific room(s) you’re in, to the town or city you live in. There are smaller changes, too: new […]
Content Warning: Mentions stories involving depression, suicidal thoughts, abuse, and more. If you are like me, you may enjoy books that feature characters and plotlines that are different from the people and experiences involved in our own lives. Writers like to call this a “window,” because you are getting a glimpse as to how others […]
About three years ago, I began to experience episodes of severe anxiety out of the blue that would terrify me, and I brought with me to high school. While my panic attacks still occur and shake me up, I have learned many ways to help myself, and hopefully help others. When my panic attacks first […]
As a result of the challenges humanity currently faces, it’s become more difficult to feel connected to others. Reaching out in the midst of physical distancing and isolation can feel quite daunting, especially if you’re trying to support your neurodivergent loved one. That being said, I’ve compiled a few simple tips to help make it […]
We’ve all compared our test scores to that of our friend’s, compared our abilities to those of our siblings’, compared our lives to those on social media. The list can go on and on and on. Although comparing ourselves to others can be useful in giving us the motivation to push ourselves to become our […]
You’ve probably experienced at least one point in your life when you have felt stressed. In that moment, you may have felt panicked, scared, maybe even frustrated. Someone says to you to “take deep breaths,” or “think of something happy.” But how many times can we use these baseline strategies before they just don’t work […]
The first time I shared my mental health journey with someone I didn’t know was when I was a sophomore in college. I was a member of a mental health advocacy group on campus and we were hosting an event called the “Love Speaks Forum.” During this event, some of our group members were going […]
I’m gay. I’ve known that for a long time, even before I knew “gay” was a thing. All I knew when I was younger was that if you’re a boy, you needed to get a girlfriend when you reached a certain age, and if you were a girl, you needed to get a boyfriend. Despite […]
It may seem kind of like a cliché, but have you ever heard the saying “it’s about the journey, not the destination”? That’s often how recovery can look or feel. Recovery isn’t some big, shiny end goal: it is a journey of constant improvement, growth, and, sometimes, mistakes. There isn’t a set of criteria that […]