Ayaan
on
I recently lost my grandmother, which was probably one of the biggest losses that I’ve ever experienced in my life, especially because it happened very suddenly. I spent several months of the year in her company, and spoke with her everyday; she was like a second mother to me. After this loss, the automatic reaction […]
Natalia
on
CW: Discussions of substance use, suicidality, and self-harm. Youth substance use is happening regardless of whether or not people are speaking openly about it. As a teen who had a substance misuse problem, I was never given non-judgmental information regarding substance use; I was only told unhelpful statements like “drugs are bad for you.” This […]
Aimee
on
CW: Mentions of suicide. We rely on construction workers to provide the infrastructure we use daily. Behind every building and road is a hard hat and a vest. In the United States alone, over ten million adults work in construction (IBIS World). However, a silent crisis urgently demands our attention: the alarmingly high rates of […]
Ashley B
on
You only have yourself at the end of the day, or so people say. This somewhat pessimistic outlook on life has significantly affected how I view and set boundaries with people I care about. The truth is hard to swallow, so how do we know when to protect our peace and when to give it […]
Grace H
on
CW: Mentions of self-harm. As someone who has struggled with mental illness for most of my life, I have used many different coping mechanisms—both healthy and less healthy for me. For some, it can feel embarrassing or shameful to talk about their unhealthy coping mechanisms due to fears of being judged or not feeling understood […]
Greta
on
Since elementary school, I’ve been a perfectionist with a strong work ethic. Some of my earliest memories go back to kindergarten, where I would volunteer to help my teacher clean up supplies from the day. Over time, my desire for perfection intensified. I wanted to be remembered as a student who worked harder than anyone […]
Grace H
on
I always saw physical and mental health as being separate until my anxiety got really bad and I noticed that I was getting sick more often. I’ve always had a lot of health anxiety, so in therapy, I identified a cycle: I would have anxiety about my stomach hurting, which would cause my stomach to […]
Charlotte
on
Exactly four days before the COVID-19 shutdown began, my world came crashing down when my dad passed away. During this time, I was stuck at home and rotting in bed all day. I desperately wanted to inform my friends about what was going on in my life, but I felt like no one would understand […]
Ayaan
on
When I started at a new school last school year, it definitely wasn’t easy. Going into a new environment where I knew no one, I often felt like an outsider and didn’t think I could ever find my people. There’s one issue that I experienced firsthand that is rarely talked about, and even when it […]
Sammantha
on
“When we protect ourselves so we won’t feel pain, that protection becomes like armor, like armor that imprisons the softness of the heart” – Pema Chodron Most people experience pain that may never be spoken about. For some of us, that pain causes mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). […]