There were three major things that happened that affected me in negative ways in my childhood. I was diagnosed with Executive Dysfunction Disorder. What that means is that I have a hard time doing many tasks others find easy. A family member had severe anger issues that came out in horrible ways. My mom had [...]
Alexithymia in 2020 America We bring in each item: one at a time wipe it down with a Clorox wipe Shadows crossing the threshold My throat tightens My stomach turns My face remains the same Northern winters subside early Plans to landscape the yard Keep Busy Find joy in connecting with the earth My enthusiasm [...]
Tell Me A Story: Introduction ----------------------------------------------- Telling one’s story is complicated. Often, the stigma and uninformed or deeply ignorant opinions someone with mental health conditions display precisely why storying is crucial. To give an account of one’s first-hand experience with various aspects of our day to day lives gives a new life to issues that, [...]
CW: Depression and suicide Staring at my phone when a pop up interrupts my endless scrolling: "Feed the cat, feed the kids." Fuck. I look up. One kid is staring at his tablet, the other is jumping off the couch. Cool-- both kids are still alive. I slap together a pb&j, toss some ramen in [...]
Hang in There After seeking mental health help for 18 years, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1, PTSD, and anxiety at 35 years old. I also sought help for substance use for nearly two decades. At 38 years old, after 22 years of active use, I was finally accepted into a dual diagnosis treatment center. [...]
Trigger warning- self-harm I have been diagnosed with depression for the last 26 years. I can barely remember a time when I didn't have it. Honestly, I probably was depressed since birth. It is just how my brain is wired. I have always been a chronic pessimist, seeing the glass fully empty. I was the [...]
The first time I “died”, I was 25. I was walking through a mall with my friends and suddenly felt the weight of the universe crash into me. I was on a roller coaster hurtling down its initial drop. I was a grain of sand being crushed by the incoming tide. Then, I was nothing. [...]
Within a moment… it’s gone. The fully-formed sentences in prose form, as well as the captured ideas, vanish from my mind. A perfect essay that would have unfolded if it weren’t for my scattered mind. As I cracked my laptop open, all that remained was a faint memory. Ever heard of the cliché, “the memory [...]
Getting sober has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life. Sometimes I have a chip on my shoulder when talking about it though. I’m only 22 years old, so I’m considered very young for someone getting sober. I’ve been the youngest person in numerous treatment centers I’ve gone through [...]
When my great aunt passed away, I had a chance to look through her things and choose something that I wanted to keep. She never signed her will and while we did donate everything we could, we wanted to keep a few things to remind us of her. While looking through her closet, an olive-green [...]
