Being a woman is hard. Scratch that. Being a woman is challenging only because the patriarchy constantly puts pressure on us, and in return, men tell us how to act, and women pit against each other fighting for the ideals those men put in front of us.
It’s exhausting.
Continue reading “10 Products Guaranteed To Make You Feel Like The Badass Woman You Are”
Can I tell you a secret?
I hate my body.
I look at myself like I am too fat to be loved and too fat to be taken seriously.
Continue reading “I Don’t Want To Lose Weight — I Want To Love Myself”
Last night I was on Facebook, scrolling aimlessly, as one does while in the fifth month of a pandemic and lockdown. I saw a post from a friend that said, “Put this on your timeline and let everyone describe you with one word.” Not really thinking about it, I shared it to my own profile. I figured people would say some funny, lighthearted things, and that would be that. But when you expect one thing, the Universe throws you something else, whether good or bad. Some of the words I got made me tear up:
Continue reading “Encouragement Goes A Long Way, No Matter How Small”
***I try to keep this site, Stigma Breakers, about mental health related topics. I am not one to write about current events, but the current events are too burdensome and significant to ignore. Black Lives Matter is a mental health issue.
Continue reading “If You’re In A Position Of Privilege, Here Are 4 Things You Must Do”
I had an awful time in high school. I loved the school I went to, but there were a few upperclassmen that treated me like absolute shit — and that included my on-and-off high school boyfriend. When I say they treated me like shit, I’m talking tampons on my car, shrimp in my mailbox, egging my car and house, etc. They also called me a slut for sleeping with upperclassmen, and all the while, on the inside, I was struggling with my internal homophobia.
Continue reading “I Denied My Sexuality And My Happiness To Fit In, But I’m Done With That”
Wes had a tumultuous childhood. Between kindergarten and eighth grade, he had been enrolled in 12 different schools. He moved states frequently. He wasn’t able to make friends. Holding down a relationship of any kind is hard when you’re constantly moving.
Continue reading “Breakups Cause Heartbreak, But They Create Growth”
I feel it happening again. The fog is drifting to my thoughts. It takes an obscene amount of energy to do work. I lay in bed waiting to fall asleep at night, falling asleep only to wake up every hour. I wake up hours past my alarm, unable to get out of bed.
Continue reading “You’re Not A Failure If Your Depression Comes Back”
Trigger warning: self harm, cutting, rape
I remember my first anxiety attack. It was my freshman year of high school. Right before bed, it felt like I was having a heart attack. My chest felt as if it was going to collapse in on itself, and my back felt like it was going to be snapped in half. I told my mom about my back pain, and we went to the doctor. They diagnosed me with scoliosis.
Continue reading “Theater Was My Therapy At My Darkest Times”
It was the darkest point in her life. She was struggling with insomnia. She couldn’t eat. She felt she lost all control. She texted her friend, scared.
‘I can’t be alone in my apartment right now. There are knives here, and I can’t trust myself.’
Continue reading “A Diagnosis Can Be The ‘Aha’ Moment You Need”
It’s kind of weird to write about the medication I take. It’s extremely personal, but more than that, there is a stigma attached to taking medication for your mental illness. Regardless, I want to share my journey so no one feels like they have to hide the medication they take.
Continue reading “Taking Medication For Your Mental Illness Does Not Make You Weak”