I like to talk. Preferably to people. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be the center of attention. Probably because growing up I received very little of it. I grew up not knowing a lot of things but one thing I did know was that of all the things to talk [...]
Trigger warning- sexual assault I was raped when I was fourteen years old. Before the assault I was a socially engaged kid, marching in “Take Back the Night” rallies, listening to And Difranco and Tori Amos, solemnly absorbing the rape stories they sang and understanding their experiences weren’t universal, but at the same time, they [...]
I am twenty-three and I have lived with depression for half of my life. Before I was even aware of what the words depression and anxiety meant I knew there was something wrong with me. It wasn't just sadness but a persistent feeling that nothing would ever bring me happiness. My depression was the result [...]
Killing Us Loudly for Stigma Fighters, Vol. 4 Heydon Hensley * * * Content Warnings: domestic violence, gun violence, suicide It may seem strange having an essay dedicated to domestic violence in this anthology, but even the briefest reflection reveals that domestic violence is – of course – surrounded in stigma. Unfortunately, the stigma and [...]
My First Manic Episode I was teaching 3rd grade Quran and Islamic Studies when I noticed something was wrong. My kids were young at the time, so initially, I thought I was just stressed about being a new mom. My youngest daughter was in preschool. Every morning it was a struggle getting her to class [...]
The Rhinoceros On Top of Us Lauren Hunchar writing for Stigma Fighters Once, I was a teenager in the early years of her acquaintance with depression. I was a girl scared of her own thoughts, feeling alone, confused, ashamed. I got scared enough to tell Mom I was worried; scared enough to push past the [...]
We grew up with self-esteem We grew up with this notion that to be happy, we needed to have good self-esteem. We were taught to be self-confident, assured, secure in ourselves. We were told to fake it till you make it, to project a sense of self-esteem even when we didn’t like ourselves. This thinking [...]
Shame is a stronger, more-lasting emotion than love or grief. It’s can stain one’s soul in shades that never lighten or fade with time. Sex is so often the earliest lesson plan in shame. There are expectations and attitudes which are acceptable within contexts we learn through trial and error, standards to cleave to demonstrate [...]
Depression does not discriminate. Depression doesn’t care who you are or what you achieve or how funny or cute or smart or kind you are. Depression can take anyone down. And unless you’ve been in the empty abyss of depression, I can promise you that you will not fully understand what a nasty liar depression [...]
So, after I nearly took my own life back in 2011, it was only that point in my mental history that I really focused on being real with myself. I went through a lengthy outpatient program. I found a (nother) therapist. She was one of many. There have been so many therapists that have floated through [...]
