Reading Children’s Books Brought Back My Passion for Reading

October 14, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I’ve been a reader since the day I read my first book Green Eggs and Ham. There was no stopping me with my LeapFrog and Scooby-Doo mysteries. Then it was the Junie B. Jones series and so on. By high school, I was reading a mix of young adult and adult fiction. I read books on top of […]

5 Signs You’re Resilient Even When You Feel Weak

October 11, 2019.Reading time 11 minutes.

Resilience isn’t something I typically associate with having a mental illness. Resilience is the ability to “bounce back” from stressors. It’s how well you handle difficult situations with your thoughts and behaviors, according to the American Psychological Association. While some people may have a natural high resilience, many of us have to work at it. There’s […]

5 ‘Affirmations’ I Use as Someone With Bipolar Disorder

August 27, 2019.Reading time 10 minutes.

These aren’t the type of affirmations you typically hear.

My Wackiest Mental Health Coping Skills

August 26, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

Whatever works!

The Wilting Flower

August 26, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

The wilting flower sits forgotten, Unkempt. The yellow petals droop in surrender, edging closer to the undusted table. The sun is no more. The water has run dry. It’s winter inside, but summer is just beyond her window. Warmth she will never know again. The unkempt flower survived for so long, weakened from the weeds […]

Netflix Is Finally Removing That ’13 Reasons Why’ Scene

July 16, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hannah Baker standing in a school hallway looking at the camera.

What Hannah’s graphic suicide did to my suicidal brain

What an Emotional Support Animal Actually Is

July 15, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

It’s not a loophole to avoid paying a pet deposit.

What to Say Instead of ‘It Gets Better’

May 20, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

Using real words of validation

What They Don’t Tell You About Surviving a Suicide Attempt

May 16, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

It’s been three years since my attempt.

Don’t Tell Me To Come Off My Psych Meds

May 7, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

The three types of people who like to give their two cents.

Goodbye Queen Smurf

May 1, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

I made the biggest adult purchase of my life so far. I bought a new (used) car Saturday after driving my 2010 Nissan Sentra “Queen Smurf” for the last seven years. I loved that car but it was time to “Kon Mari” it and say goodbye. Queen Smurf was with me through the last half […]

Tired Friday and Are the Pretzels Worth It?

April 26, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

I woke up at 5 a.m. today. I wish I could say it was because I’m that person who wakes up early to do things morning people do. Instead, I woke up in a dazed panic because my phone (read: alarm clock) wasn’t on my bedside table. I starfished on my bed in hopes of […]

Why I Still Go to Therapy When I Feel Well

April 25, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

(My fitting coffee mug this morning before therapy.) In addition to longer blog posts, I’m now writing daily, shorter posts about life happenings and whatnot. A post a day is my goal, but, really, how much is there to blog about on days I only binge Netflix and fall asleep at 2 p.m.? Therapy isn’t […]

Growing Up With a ‘Gross’ Skin Condition

April 22, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

I was a sophomore in high school, working on the school’s yearbook after the last bell of the day rang. Though Yearbook and Newspaper were separate classes, we all mingled in the journalism room after school. A junior newspaper girl with her friend sat at the computer next to mine. I heard her mention psoriasis […]

What Made Me Stick Around After My Suicide Attempt

March 25, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

My therapist in college told me most people who attempt suicide say they regretted it soon after. Most people realize the gravity of the situation and lose their “tunnel vision,” which makes them think suicide is the only answer. Many of us have heard the inspirational stories of suicide attempt survivors who realized the preciousness […]

18 Lessons About Bipolar I’ve Learned So Far

March 24, 2019.Reading time 23 minutes.

World Bipolar Day is March 30. I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder in March 2017 at the age of 21. It’s only been two years since my diagnosis, but my symptoms began in childhood and became overwhelming in college. Bipolar 2 means I experience depression and hypomania. Hypomania — or “under” mania — means I don’t experience full-blown mania. […]

How I Discovered I Had Binge Eating Disorder, Not a Lack of Self-Control

March 1, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

It’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, so I figured it’s a good time as any to talk about binge eating disorder (BED). About a month and a half ago, I saw my psychiatrist. During our talk, she asked me if I struggled with binge eating. Then I delved deeper into my relationship with food — something I […]

5 Hard Lessons Therapy Taught Me

February 8, 2019.Reading time 9 minutes.

I spent the first two and a half years of college working up the courage to start therapy. At the beginning of my second semester as a junior, I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment with my university’s counseling center. Fast forward three years later to now, I’ve gone through my fair share […]

Reclaiming the Word ‘Woman’

February 2, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’ve always identified as a female, but lately, I’ve noticed a weird reaction whenever I use or hear someone call me a “woman.” Sure, I can blast “Woman” by Kesha or some other empowered anthem, but calling myself a woman? Yuck. I had become accustomed to using “girl” to describe myself and other women, though we’re […]