The sole thing that surrounded my disheveled mind in high school were the bathroom stalls. Crouching in a puzzled state, the palms of my hands pooled with sweat, but for no particular reason at all. The room would spin while my hands tingled, my body attempting to frighten me with the possibility of fainting. My heartbeat grew abnormal; from a rapid pulse to palpitations, in a … [Read more...]
Why You Need to Help Yourself By Going to Therapy
The topic of therapy can often times be a tricky one. Many feel like it is the “last straw” or the route that you take when your situation becomes uncontrollable. But when it comes to dealing with symptoms of mental illness, often therapy can be one of your best friends and the start to your road to recovery. This negative view is one that I believe is dominating our society … [Read more...]
This Is Why Mental Health Is So Hard To Talk About
In society’s eyes, I don’t have a mental health story. I’m “normal”, which is to say that I am damaged in ways that society deems acceptable and manageable. I bottle up emotions and feelings; I bury thoughts and ideas; I build up walls around the parts of me that frighten me and keep them isolated and hidden. I lie to myself - I hide from myself - I bite my tongue and keep up … [Read more...]
Self-Care is Super-Cool: How to Reduce Anxiety and Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is important in all facets of life, but it is especially vital when dealing with a mental illness. There are so many different ways to achieve self-care, so it’s never too hard to find the perfect fit for you! What is self-care? Self-care is any activity or practice that can ease your mind, clear your head, or just make you feel more calm and peaceful. The … [Read more...]
The Power of Therapy
Personally, I was never really well-versed on therapeutic and emotional regulation interventions before I studied psychology in college. There is still a negative connotation associated with therapy and this is why a lot of people do not believe that therapy can actually be a very beneficial treatment option for people who need it. Not enough people are educated on the … [Read more...]
I’m My Own Sunshine, and You Should Be Yours, Too
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. - Jimmie Davis When we think of sunshine we typically tend to think of warmth, comfort, light, and joy; things that bring us happiness. In this classic song, Davis suggest that whoever this person is, is so full of … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Balancing Your Mental State in College
College is a life-changing period in our lives. It tests our character, mental stability, and our overall self-esteem to get through the toughest of times. With all the commitments, events, academics, and things going on each day, it can be daunting for one to tackle them all. Fortunately, there are solutions and steps to help balance out your mental state. Let’s … [Read more...]
Weathering the Scrupulosity Storm: A Story of OCD, Faith and Healing
My brain was a vortex. Thousands of thoughts, like drops of water, flowed together in a harsh rush of unwelcome emotions. They crashed together, circling down toward an uncertain conclusion, a dark place deep inside of me, from which I believed I could never come up for air. But I was wrong. As real as my feelings of fear, anxiety, sorrow, and hopelessness were, the reality … [Read more...]
You See My Friend
I breathe in once I exhale twice My chest rises and falls But my heart is frozen like ice I think my head is spinning again You see anxiety does not play nice And she brings along all her symptom friends They knock on my always open door I watch them come in then stare at the floor You see I can’t control what she does I can only wait patiently … [Read more...]
Two Extremes: My Journey to Managing Disruptive Emotions
I was at a funeral when she told me that I had gotten stronger. She said it in a low voice, one that seemed assured of its own weight and meaningfulness. It was probably meant to be reassuring. It left me feeling like I was the one who belonged in the casket. What she believed about my silence, a radical change from running to her and pouring out my many anxieties in an … [Read more...]
The Stigma Has Been Amplified
I’m going into this article timidly, as I don’t know how it is going to turn out or what exactly I’m hoping to say, but I do know that I want to, and feel driven to, talk about this. It's time we talked about the recent Florida shooting and its relation to mental illness; and no, this isn’t the tired old discussion or argument that you’re probably thinking it will be. I’m … [Read more...]
When I Met Ed: My Eating Disorder Story & Recovery #NEDAwareness
I first met Ed (a figure widely used by specialists and therapists to represent an eating disorder as a character/concrete presence) in 2003 when I was in 8th grade. He convinced me that the way I looked did not match up with the standard of the other girls in my grade, and society. Every magazine and TV show I watched depicted the same type of skinny girl, and she always … [Read more...]
7 Practical Tips to Manage Your Stress and Anxiety
Life gets stressful! Things start to pile up, you get busy, and sometimes it can get difficult to manage everything going on in your life. As a student, it seems like anxiety and stress are things that just come with the territory. Any yes, that may be partly true, but there are ways to manage this stress and anxiety. I’m going to give you some self-care tips that I try to … [Read more...]
Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter From Your Daughter Recovering From a Restrictive Eating Disorder
Dear Mom and Dad: If you’re reading this, it means you want to help my recovery. Honestly, support is one of the most important parts of recovery, and parental support makes a huge difference. But you've had an eating disorder… There’s no nice way to say this – you suck at dealing with eating disorders. And that’s okay! It’s easy to get it wrong. No matter the intentions, … [Read more...]
Life Can Be Tough Sometimes, But So Are You!
To almost anyone you ask, they will say that transition, no matter the circumstance, is one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. Most of us are faced with this tricky concept during our teenage years as part of the long, tedious journey into adulthood. Transition can come in many forms, whether that be transition to just a grade older, a new school, or a new lifestyle … [Read more...]