Category: Anxiety/Depression

While most people imagine depression equals “really sad,” unless you’ve experienced depression yourself, you might not know it goes so much deeper than that. Depression expresses itself in many different ways, some more obvious than others. While some people have a hard time getting out of bed, others might get to work just fine — it’s different […]

We may think we know what anxiety looks like (shaking hands, shallow breaths) and what it sounds like (“I can’t do this. What if I can’t do it. What if?…What if?…), but what does anxiety feel like? Often, we focus so much on the racing thoughts and emotions that come with anxiety, we forget to recognize how physical anxiety […]

Having struggled with numerous severe and enduring episodes of depressionover the last five or so years, I feel as though I’ve built up an in depth understanding of the illness. A lot of the educational material online about depression focuses primarily on the classic symptoms which would lead to diagnosis. However there isn’t as much available […]

Growing up I was always the shy, quiet kid. I didn’t think any more of it until I was 19 and diagnosed with social anxiety. I didn’t believe it at first, thinking that because I was able to leave the house, talk to people and go about my life, I couldn’t have social anxiety. I remember […]

At some point in your life, I’m sure there’s been someone to whom you want to give the benefit of the doubt, but they just… can’t… seem… to help being jerks? Or maybe you’ve had a co-worker who you thought wasn’t so bad, only to have them stab you in the back, pull the rug […]

I live with several chronic disorders and all of them are “invisible.” I mean, if you looked hard enough, most of them are actually totally visible. So I have compiled a list of the ridiculous things people have said to me about my “invisible” illnesses. 1. “You just need some food and water, then you […]

Having dealt with anxiety for nearly my entire life, there are many things that I have come to accept because of it. For example, I can accept that I can’t handle being in loud crowds for a long period of time, or that I will have problems sleeping the night before a big exam or presentation. One […]

Wouldn’t life be easy if we could just wake up and decide not to be sick? In many situations, people with a mental illness compare their situation to that of a physical illness because many people do not understand. I’ve heard on many occasions that I’m “choosing to be depressed,” and I “should get a […]

Mornings are a fresh start, an opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the day. Whether you wake up with a pounding heart and overwhelming thoughts or rise with a sense of calm — for people with anxiety, starting your day on the right foot can be especially important. When you’re overwhelmed or nervous […]

Having depression is often like having this black cloud over you — and only you. It can follow you everywhere, insisting you isolate yourself rather than drench everyone else around you.  After being in an intimate relationship for four years, my partner has seen the worst sides of me, including the time I attempted suicide and was admitted to the hospital. […]