"I have a lot of friends who are dealing with depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. And I have to admit, these labels aren't always helping them. A …
"One of the things modern medicine has done is force us to make decisions we wouldn’t have had to make 100 years ago. The patient was dead. But …
I went to therapy for the first time this week. It was unhelpful because the therapist repeated what I said back to me and I was looking for something more. I …
“I’m often overthinking…After I talk to someone, I wonder about the possibilities. I agonize about whether what I said is what I should’ve said. And …
“I came out as bisexual at first. Mind you, this is the eighth grade. And that was a big, big, big mistake because people treated me awfully. I was disowned …
”I came out again freshman year as bisexual, and it was incredible. I had so much support from my mom and my sister. My mom gave me a book …
“I came out as lesbian two months ago here and I’ve gotten- I’m actually really surprised- I’ve gotten some good reactions like: “Good for you!” and “I wish …
“I’m proud of being lesbian and super comfortable with it. It’s just who I am, and I’m okay with that. And I keep seeing these stories of these people …
“One of the challenges I face as a hospice chaplain is having people accept the fact that they’re dying. It’s a beautiful thing when it does happen …
“I tell people that it’s okay to miss the person. But remember what you’re mourning is just the body. The spirit, the thing you really love, is still with you. And …
“Around March, the second year anniversary of my dad’s death. I just- I completely lost it. I completely lost it and I was ready to die. I was so ready to die …
It’s important for people to know that there are so many fucked up people in this world. It’s natural, bad things happen. What everyone needs to understand …
"If I ever get married, which I won’t, but if I ever get married, I will never have a male figure that I trust walking me down the aisle. I will never have any of the …
One of the things I do as a hospice chaplain is talk to people about birth and death. Birth and death are polar opposites of each other. Things have changed a bit …
As a dancer who has claimed this lifestyle for over 15 years, it is not surprising that I was recently diagnosed with depression. Globally, most dancers …
With school getting busy during junior year, it became harder for me to be physically healthy. This not only affected my physical health, but also my mental health …
The day after the election was a weird day. We had a mandatory session at 8 am. Most people, at least all of the people I know, were hungover and sad. And at the …
I was a humanities major, and I think the arts and culture and history largely impact medicine. One of the reasons I chose medicine is because there are so many …
It started with the need to have equal things happen on both sides of my body. If someone were to tap me on my left shoulder, I would need them to tap me on …
I don’t want to live in a place where being compassionate toward another human being is compromised by something as trivial as money. We need universal …
My sophomore year of high school I was diagnosed with depression. It changed my life significantly. I had went from having a lot of free time to going to therapy …
My grandfather died of heart disease when he was 53. All of my father’s siblings have had open heart surgery within the last five years and two of his brothers …
Living with eczema is a daily struggle and I have to be constantly aware of my environment and what I am exposing my skin to. I've always been a healthy …
So I had been feeling sleepy ALL OF THE TIME and I assumed it was due to natural teenager hormones and such, but in reality, it was because of my lack of …
Like many other preteen girls, I struggled to figure myself and my emotions out for quite some time. In eighth grade, I realized I am someone who's …
Over the years I have found that the best way to take care of you physical and mental health is to listen to your body. You know your body the best and are the first …
Our health care is in disarray, and those who have been able to obtain health care for the first time through the Affordable Care Act are being threatened by our …
I never really understood what Frontotemporal Dementia was until my Grandpa was diagnosed. I thought it was the same as Alzheimer's, but it's definitely different …
Much of my mother's side of the family has some sort of mental illness. However, almost all of them have gone untreated for most of their lives. Of the few who …
I was born with murmurs and a portion of my aorta had not been fully formed by the time I was born. I had 4 open heart surgeries, all performed in a transgressing …
I watched as my sister picked up the phone, and I listened as I heard his frail voice wish her goodbye. I stared at her, but never once pressed my ear to hear …
There is one word that sums up my first encounter with the American health system: expensive. Prior to my visit, I had been suffering from a headache that …
Have you seen an assembly line on tv? Where at first it seems easy and manageable; the pace is slow and the work is pretty simple. Then the conveyor belt …
I tore my ACL two years ago and wasn't able to get it fixed until this past fall. I was depressed for some time and it threw me off so much. I would go to sports …
I had a random spasm one night as I stood up. I had work the next morning, and I was worried because I could barely move or even sit up properly. The pain …
My father developed lung cancer when I was very young, which created a lot of instability in our household because he had to be hospitalized for a few months …
Nearly every person in my family has struggled with depression, anxiety, etc. so I wasn't shocked when I started experiencing those feelings. I convinced …
My mom getting breast cancer was a wake up call for my family, and I’m actually grateful for the outcome. She was diagnosed when I was in 7th grade. Since …
Once there was a lonely girl
With nothing but a smile
Her footsteps left flowers in their wake …
Growing up, I was bullied for being fat. And then later I was bullied for being fat and mean because I was trying to defend myself. All of this really left a dent in my …
The buildup of stress before the doctor’s appointments wasn’t because of what could be wrong with me, but because I was going to be weighed. Was my weight going to show a …
Reading this you may be thinking that I am very unhappy or unhealthy. The thing is the majority of the time I do not feel that way. I'm a positive person with some negative thoughts …
I've struggled with depression and anxiety for a large part of my life. The first time I was diagnosed, it was amidst my parent's divorce. I went through therapy …
I’ve never had serious depression or anxiety, or any other mental affliction for that matter. I was, however, in therapy for 8 years. Following my parents’ divorce, everyone …
I’ve always been over-critical of myself. This is a part of being a human being and I get that. However it can get to a point to where it’s extremely unhealthy. You …
When I was 13, I was always watching what I ate and if I did eat, I would make myself throw up. I was that girl who had been chubby for a while and then …
Learning about the population that we serve is interesting and important, especially because we can bring attention to underserved women, children, and …
One of my step-sisters had breast cancer, and she lives in Mexico, so I couldn’t talk to her about it much. When I first found out, I was devastated and also a bit …
I've never been a self-injurious individual—well, not in the cutting or eating disorder way—but the summer before my senior year I developed some very poor …
OCD once controlled my life; everything I did, said, ate was impacted by my OCD. But now I control it. I had always known it was there, but after my parents …
We all suffer from poisonous thoughts, self-criticism, and self-doubt, but when does that become a "disorder?" I have never been formally diagnosed with …
The profession I have chosen requires elite athleticism and artistry, sinuous lines, low body weight, and an incredible amount of hard work and dedication. Sometimes …
I try my best to keep myself optimistic. I AM THE FUTURE. There are days that I wake up to the sun in my face and I just don't feel like the whole fun, light, glowy …
I made a friend in seventh grade and I thought she would always be my "best friend for life." But gradually things started to change as she made fun of more …
In school, I find it difficult to focus. Simple tasks become too hard. My family’s insurance has been on and off so I haven’t visited my therapist …
I transferred schools as a junior. Not a very unique experience, I know. What is unique is how I handled it. As a three year old I went through a near-fatal …
I have struggled with anxiety and depression. I couldn't comprehend that strong and painful emotions could surface without being directly caused …
I've never been formally diagnosed with any mental illness, but let’s be honest-- no one has a so-called "normal brain." As a girl, I feel pressure to not feel pain …
Growing up, my dad had dealt with clinical depression and bipolar disorder. My mom had a very stigmatized view of any mental disorder …
I accept my imperfections. I feel comfortable in my no make-up face and I love trying new fashion (I don’t care if it’s bold). But I am just constantly dieting and trying to …
When one of my extremely close friends was dying of cancer, I decided not to go visit her. I was afraid of seeing her ill. I knew her really well …
I’ve always loved science. I used, and still use, the scientific process of inquiry when baking cookies. This is one main reason why …
Right now, as I’m applying for jobs, it’s really difficult to compete with clinical psychology students. Our skills are exactly the same, but I come from a …
It was an easy master’s degree, but being a genetics nurse is extremely challenging. My field is changing every day, so coming to work everyday is like coming …
The thing about extra education is that even if you don’t use it, you still learn how to think in a different way that you probably would not have been able to …
I think that there is an emphasis on being happy in American society. I consider myself to be a happy person, but I have bouts of sadness. Every few …
I gradually realized that checking social media was becoming a compulsive behavior, and that it was making me more stressed and less happy …
I don't find it surprising that 20% of Americans suffer from mental illness. A number of my family members struggle with depression and anxiety …
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