When the real world is too much to handle and I find myself needing to soothe an onslaught of anxieties, or if I’m simply in need of some familiar background noise, I escape to a special place in my heart called Stars Hollow. It, of course, is not a real place, but the fictional town… Continue reading A Safe Haven Called Stars Hollow
I’ve never wanted to die. Sure, I’ve tried to kill myself. I’ve done so three times, and with varying degrees of severity. But I never was fully committed, though I was as committed as anyone can be. Let me explain. The first time I tried to kill myself is an occasion that I don’t like… Continue reading I’ve never wanted to die
Have you ever thrown some food up while sick and been, later in life, unable to stomach that food? Every time you are near that food, you feel nauseous. One pre-middle school summer, I ate hundreds of raspberries from the bushes around my local pool, and upon throwing them up one day, I was henceforth… Continue reading Trauma, Associative Loss, and Harry Potter
A girl in my area recently died by suicide, and it’s all over my local news as well as town Facebook pages and friends’ posts. My heart aches as I think about what her family is going through. I’m not going discuss the girl specifically- the local news and my neighborhood is doing plenty of… Continue reading When Discussing Suicide
Nearly every characteristic of a human personality is acceptable at some point on its continuum. Emotions are the same way. A healthy person is neither too giddy nor entirely lacking in joy, neither frequently outraged nor meek, neither paralyzingly brilliant nor oppressively stupid. The key to these conditions is their descriptors: too, entirely, frequently, paralyzingly,… Continue reading The Empathy Dialectic
First things first; you definitely know someone who cut in high school. You’re likely friends with someone who did. The number sits at 10% of high schoolers, at least. Regardless of whether or not you are privy to it, someone you know has harmed themselves intentionally. I think that’s reason enough to want to know… Continue reading 3 Reasons Why Folks Self Harm and Why You Shouldn’t
My town has a Facebook page that is appropriately named “Town, State.” It’s a reliable source of middle aged drama and news of town happenings, good for the occasional laugh, eye roll, or sigh. Recently, my attention was caught by some postings by adults and parents within the group who were seemingly aghast to have… Continue reading Reflections on Bullying
In general, it’s better to say something than to say nothing at all. When I was in middle school, I didn’t understand this. I saw friends struggling in the sixth and seventh grade and I froze. I figured that if I said anything to them, they’d be triggered (this, before “triggered” was such a buzzword)… Continue reading 2 Well-Meaning Things NOT to Say to Struggling Friends
Gift giving usually needn’t be much different for those with mental health issues. The essentials- paying close attention to their likes, dislikes, being appropriate, making it personalized and meaningful- all still apply. If you follow those rules, you’ll likely create a great gift experience for your recipient who is struggling with their mental health. However,… Continue reading A Mental Health Gift Guide
Throughout both my journey as a young trans man and a young man struggling with major depressive disorder and PTSD, a recurring theme that tends to rear its head (mainly in internet blogs like this one) is self care, and what that means for the author. Oftentimes, the things that one person finds soothing and… Continue reading Fuel The Fire – Self Care v.s. Self Hate