Over the past couple of years I have read countless self-help books on the effects of a dysfunctional upbringing. For better, or for worse, these books have opened me up to types of pain that I have avoided, and given me permission to feel them. While this awakening has been very exciting, it’s also been […]
[Content Warning: The effects of sexual assault on mental health] I think for a long time I’ve strived to be normal or to “pass” for normal. I’ve tried to hide my past and my continued struggles, but my past is a part of me. And those struggles? Well, they are too. Today, I feel stronger […]
Growing up, I had heard meditation discussed as some sort of new age nonsense. Subsequently, I had never given much thought to meditation or its possible benefits until my junior year of high school when I had the opportunity to listen to a talk given by a group of Tibetan monks. Seeing the monks in […]
Sitting on the grey couch in my therapist’s office, I remember telling her that I didn’t feel safe. At the end of the session, I had asked, “What am I supposed to do? This is the only thing I can think of.” That’s when she brought up the Box Method. “Picture a box. It can […]
Second semester of my freshman year of college, the counseling center sent a friend of mine to the hospital. The counselor was concerned that she was suicidal and both she and my friend thought it best that she sought outside treatment. While the choice was difficult, it was in the best interest of her safety […]
Suicide Prevention Month stirs up a lot of different emotions for different people. While some people use this time to show that they are here to help those who are struggling, other people feel a sense of sadness, hopelessness, or despair. The topic of suicide isn’t an easy one to talk about… as I write […]
Yesterday my family and I, although miles apart in physical proximity, lit a candle in each of our respective homes for my brother who passed away 7 months ago. It just so happened to fall on World Suicide Prevention Day. The past seven months for me personally have been a whirlwind. After he passed away, […]
Dear Leah, If there was a way this letter could have gotten to you tonight, I don’t think you would have even listened. The grips of depression are relentless and intoxicating. It took years of deciding that despite the love around you, you are entirely alone. You think you are ready for your life to […]
If someone had told my seven year old self that I would become a time traveller when I got older, my daydreaming imagination would have soared. Could I go back to the periods my American Girl dolls were from; could I go on adventures in the future? Could I visit people who were no longer […]
Many people like to think that at a certain point in life, they “peak.” This is usually thought to occur during your early to mid-20’s, or perhaps if you’re a late bloomer, your early 30’s. But me? Always the overachiever, I peaked at 13. In the thicket of puberty, pimply and hormonal, somehow I stumbled […]
Laurie
Julia W.
Eric
on
Irina
Lexa
You Matter
Nicole
Leah
Gabby