Trigger Warning: Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse I still remember my first sexual encounter. I was 4 years old. I remember every detail, as if I was a spectator, rather than the child. I don’t remember the physical sensations, but I do remember every word spoken, every scene enacted. Since it’s with me more than [...]
Like many of you, I love chocolate, have a coffee addiction, and lie through my teeth when people ask me how I’m doing. Who wants to tell people, “I know I look fine, but this arthritis is really bugging me” or “my immune system is attacking my intestines and this leads to depression and an [...]
Living with Mental Illness: Better Doesn't Mean Cured Sometimes, I feel that I don’t know what’s going on or that I don’t care about anything. I am confused by my feelings, because I’m not able to explain how I feel, except for the emptiness, and I feel that no one is really there for [...]
I AM A STIGMA FIGHTER I should make clear from the very start that I am not a soldier. Nor, am I or ever was a trained first responder. Far from it, at the time of the tsunami, I had recently graduated university and had just left my home in London to start a new [...]
It's A Shame About Shame. Shame has a crushing feel to it. I think to those that have felt or continue to feel shame, it’s suddenly having a spot light aimed on you. It’s the turning of your stomach, like a cement truck, endlessly twisting what’s inside. Shame is that instant jerk of my head, [...]
This is hard for me write because I've never written about this before, nor have I talked about it to anyone other than my psychologist. Rachel Thompson has a saying she often posts on her social media streams, "Write what scares you." Or something to that effect, anyway. Writing about this doesn't scare me and [...]
Every Paige Counts There’s a book coming out soon, which Mandi Castle wrote, and I think you should read. I’m delighted to be here today to recommend it to you. It’s called ‘Dear Stephanie’ and it’s the story of a woman (Paige) who lives a life in extremely rich and sumptuous circumstances. Like literally – [...]
Facing Life - Heidi DiTonno I don't consider myself mentally ill, although my diagnoses would disagree with me. They are stigmas for my way of having to cope with situations that I somehow had to find a way to survive. And they worked for me, here I am! Burned and severely facially disfigured at 9 [...]
I am a Tightrope Walker. To define Tightrope walking the dictionary tells me it is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope. Today I realized that I am exactly that. I balance on a very fine tightrope. I am a tightrope walker, in every sense of the word – except the true [...]
I was first asked to write for Stigma Fighters a few months ago, and to be quite honest with you I found the thought at the time, daunting. I reviewed the website and saw quite a eclectic mix of stories from individuals and mental health professionals. I honestly thought how could my story and writing [...]
