A note: There’s a lot of trigger-y, very heavy material in this particular essay, including descriptions of graphic fictional violence (in nightmares) and mentions of sexual violence. I included it to paint as clear a picture I could of what it feels like to have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. All respect is given to those who […]
I’ve had anxiety and depression for years, long before I started therapy and began taking medication under the advisement of a psychiatrist. I look back at my teenage and college years and see glaring signs that I was unhappy but didn’t know how to put it into words that anyone, including myself, could understand. Mental […]
“What do YOU think?” That’s the number one phrase I hear in therapy over and over — usually because I’m asking my therapist for her opinion about some shit that is going down. But as those of us in therapy know, a therapist is not there to give advice or to tell you how to […]
Unlike my future captor Tom Cruise, I’m a big fan of psychiatry. Why? Well, it’s given me opportunities I never could have experienced without medical intervention for depression, agoraphobia and panic attacks. To put it more simply: Psychiatry has saved my life. But thanks to a couple of friendly letters from health insurance companies, I’ve recently learned I […]
Catherine Zeta-Jones has opened up to InStyle about her struggle with bipolar disorder, a mental illness for which she sought treatment in early 2011. “I’m not the kind of person who likes to shout out my personal issues from the rooftops, but with my bipolar becoming public, I hope fellow suffers will know it is […]
One in every five women has been sexually assaulted. And most of those assaults happen before the age of 25. I am a woman. I’m 25 years old, and I am part of the 20 percent of women who have been raped. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to accept about myself, and […]
Every day, I take an invigorating morning walk. On days like today with beautiful clear skies and the chill of winter in the air, it can be especially satisfying. At times like these, it’s good to reflect on just how lucky we are to be given one of the greatest gifts of all, the gift […]
There’s nothing quite like spilling all your secrets to a complete stranger. It can be liberating … or it can be terrifying. Plus, going through your HMO’s provider book isn’t going to tell you what you want to know about the therapist you’ll be working with. I’ve been seeing therapists on-and-off for a decade and […]
Talking with some physicians about depression and anxiety therapy is a direct way to determine what is not right and then taking action to cure your problem. However, for some patients, the prospect of talking about their mental health issues with a physician is as horrible as the issue itself. LaShawnLewis gives thirteen tips for helping […]
