When I finally came forward to my parents about my struggles, I realized I wasn’t alone. I finally began to start my journey in realizing and coping with the fact that I was one of the 18% of the population who struggles with some form of anxiety and/or depressive disorders.
Talking about mental health can be difficult. Not only are mental health issues widely stigmatized, but they can be hugely personal. Everyone who has been personally touched by suicide or mental health issues has the right to decide when, how, and if they want to discuss these topics. While this right is essential, it can […]
Welcome beautiful people of the internet! I’m Jay, coming at you with my first ever blog post. I know that you’re probably struggling with something (hence your presence on this website) and have somehow in someway stumbled upon this blog post to find some sort of relief or guidance. I have compiled a completely self-written […]
“Do you have a plan?” The words make me wince. I shift uncomfortably in my seat because I don’t know the answer. I wait for him to change the subject, but when I look back up my therapist is looking intently at me, his hands folded in front of him, patiently. A year ago, when […]
I watched the summer tumble into autumn from the window of my hospital room. The colors seemed to burst, all at once, like a firework. Autumn was always my favorite season and always the best time of year for my mental health. Every year, with the falling of the leaves came the lifting of my […]
This year I was presented with the opportunity to become a member of the walk committee for our community Out of the Darkness Walk, and it was the best decision I have ever made. The Out of Darkness Walks, developed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, are community walks to raise awareness and funds […]
“In the past, have you ever attempted to seriously hurt yourself?” She means have I ever tried to kill myself. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. “Um, yeah. I’ve tried to kill myself,” I counted with my fingers in my lap, “…about, a handful of times.” A handful. A neat five little fingers. […]
The summer before my freshman year of high school I decided that after years of putting golf to the side I was going to try and learn again, hopeful that I could play on our high school team. In the months before that summer I had been struggling with the grief of my mother’s death, […]
My own personal story with self-harm began in ninth grade. I can remember sitting in my room feeling overwhelmed and confused. I didn’t know what to do so I turned to self-harm. I had remembered that a friend of mine in seventh grade had struggled with self-harm. I knew how hard it was for her […]