After a childhood (and adulthood) spent wondering why I never quite fit in, I finally understand myself — Staring up at the Florida evergreens, warmed by streetlights against the background of a deep blue, light-polluted sky, I began to feel the calming of my nervous system. The speed of my rocking back and forth slowed, my muscles released some of their tension, and the echo of the word…

Sitting down to watch television with my husband made the evening feel like a typical end to a typical day, until all my sadness and fear collided back into my body. It was like the feeling that follows the sound of glass breaking or the sound of squealing brakes before…

But I’m ready to tell the truth in hopes it can help others do the same. Stories are the glue that holds us all together. To hide your story is to be dishonest about the human experience. This dishonesty prevents not just you, but everyone around you from learning and…

Trigger Warning: This article speaks bluntly and in detail about suicidal thoughts and ideation. If this is triggering for you, please don’t read this article. If you are contemplating suicide, please speak with someone you can trust. …

A tiny holiday story about a big personality “I ain’t doin’ Christmas this year. Don’t expect nutin’ from me.” You said this every year, but every Christmas morning I’d run into your room to find a pile of horrifically wrapped Barbie dolls and baby dolls. You’d stand there in your…

So much self-blame can be avoided by really understanding how the brain copes — Like most American women, I’ve been prepared to defend myself against sexual assault and rape. I know to “never take your eye off your drink” and “don’t walk alone at night” and “if you have to, put your key between your fingers to use as a weapon.” Even as a…

Living in a 1920s craft home overlooking a cemetery was surreal. I walked to work every day passing by the castle where Zelda Fitzgerald tragically died. Sometimes, I’d take the long way through The Shakespearean outdoor theatre, a secret sanctuary hidden deep within a park. As I made my way…

After years of abuse and no support, I had reached my limit — No one showed up to my 11th birthday party at King Arthur’s Castle the summer before I entered sixth grade, my last year of elementary school. My birthday party became the foreshadowing event of the loneliest year of my life and the beginning of my lifelong battle with obsessive thoughts…