For me social anxiety is like this: It’s not wanting people to look at me when I’ve put on makeup because they might see my flaws, but then not wanting them to ignore me either because that hurts my feelings as a highly sensitive person. It’s not wanting to feel their eyeballs on my skin [...]
When someone says they “literally had an anxiety attack” when something stressful happens, try thinking about this next time. An anxiety attack is two words I would love to never say again, never have again, and it hurts when you hear someone use a term that is utterly devastating to you as a joking phrase. [...]
I was always diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (along with a diagnosis with PSTD). I was okay with that. It took some time, but I was okay with my diagnosis. I wasn't always. I went through stages. At first I was made at the defect that I was born with. Then I was sad, because I [...]
I've fought my battles with mental health for years. I never really stepped back to take a look at what was going on because I never thought about having a mental health disorder, no matter how I felt, because it wasn't something that people spoke about openly. I knew the symptoms for a flu, I [...]
I have always been the girl with a pen and a pad of paper on hand. I'm a writer. I used to write fiction, but as I grew older I realized that I could write about my emotions too. My diary became my closest companion. For a while I tried to write eloquently, but eventually [...]
For the past 25 years I was oblivious to the fact that what I have been living with is considered a mental health condition, instead I went about my days thinking the others around me were strong and confident individuals whereas I believed I was just not. As I grew up I came to learn [...]
My daughter saved my life when I was 15. The thread was cobalt blue, and after I finished, I admired my work. At only thirteen, my embroidery was sloppy, but pride still swirled in my gut. The pride stemmed from accomplishment and mastery. Not a mastery of sewing skills, but as I stitched the letters [...]
Dear Depression, I need you to know that you are not me. Your incessant insults may make me briefly believe that I am all of the terrible things you tell me, but I now know that I am none of them. I am worthy of love. I am strong. I am handsome. I am enough. [...]
The Lasting Impact of Growing Up With ADHD By Robert Vore These days, it seems like ADHD is a punchline more than something people really believe in. But as much as I love a good 'SQUIRREL!' joke (hint: I don't), I have to admit that I'm just coming to terms with how much growing up [...]
Looking back, it’s hard to identify the exact moment when I realized that my thoughts and feelings weren’t normal. Didn’t everyone feel paralyzed with anxiety for no apparent reason or feel the vacant despair of depression for weeks at a time? Like all good journeys, my mental health journey started off with a bang. My [...]
