Mental Health

The spiral of childhood invalidation into our adult lives. — Our primary caregivers are the first people we associate with the word ‘love’ as infants. They are the first voices we hear, and their words and actions deeply resonate with how we see ourselves and how we learn to interact with the world. In a safe and predictable world, our…

I enjoy my birthdays, but this year feels a bit off-kilter I skim across the water on my paddle board on the eve of my 48th birthday. Like the unpredictable waters beneath me, my journey has had its fair share of emotional highs and lows. As the sun dips toward…

Happy PRIDE, and happy lipedema awareness month — I have 38 cents in my bank account right now, and $6.42 in savings. So, that’s a grand total of $6.80. Saying that “out loud,” or simply typing it out feels wrong. It feels embarrassing. It feels like I’m saying, “Hey guys, look at me!” while standing beneath a neon…

When it comes to being a clown, they usually use jokes, humor, and clever comments to make people laugh. Similarly, in a relationship, some people might act like a silly clown to pretend to be the happiest person, all in an effort to bring a smile to their loved one. …

#2: Sharpen your why — 1. Think about motivation as an effect, not a cause If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because there’s some action or set of actions you would like to take, but you don’t feel as motivated as you would like to take them. The underlying belief here is that you’re more likely to do the action if you possess the…

Why “your parents did the best they could” isn’t always comforting things to hear. — “Being a parent is really hard.” My heart sank as I read my father’s words. We had been estranged for years when I received a handwritten letter from him. Littered amongst the apologies were several justifications for his mistreatment of me. All of them came under the theme of parenting…

We all want to protect ourselves and our own. We go through great lengths to do that. The people we fight to protect our own see us as evil and themselves as good just like we see our actions as good and theirs as bad making them evil. This life…

Don’t doubt a decision you made, or lie awake rehashing an event that leaves you wishing for a do over. Decide differently. Thoughtfully and with purpose, plan your next move. Don’t doubt yourself, worrying about how things will turn out. Decide that whatever happens, you will learn from it so…

The unvarnished reality is that if we fail to take personal responsibility, our health will not be a priority for anyone else. — The current healthcare approach predominantly centers around managing diseases, usually neglecting proactive measures until overt symptoms manifest and diseases start. This paradigm of disease management poses challenges to achieving a healthier population globally. I came to a sobering realization of this harsh reality when I was diagnosed with metabolic disorders…