Posts in Our Stories
Triggers are Everywhere

Trigger is a word that has been used as of late, either for fun or whenever people get angry. I personally don’t mind it, but I know how much it may harm others. Trigger, according to the urban dictionary, is a term used to describe sensations, images or experiences that trigger a traumatic memory. It is related to post traumatic stress disorder, but I often feel it with my generalized anxiety disorder.

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In Love with Love

Love comes in different forms and neither it, nor Prince Charming, will be like anything you expected. He won’t sweep you away from all your problems and he will not show up in your backyard promising constant happiness and everything you heart desires. He will most likely not have a horse or a prestigious family lineage, and finding him will require heartbreaking trial and errors; but, he will love you endlessly.

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Looking for Answers

Though this may sound dismal, there’s so much more freedom to explore and experiment with what works once you’ve let go of sure-fire answers. On a personal level, what’s helped me most is completely immersing myself into a multitude of books and journaling about life from this newfound perspective; for my brother, it was dedicating himself to physical health and wellness.

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A Letter to Myself Before I Developed Binge Eating Disorder

Growing up, you learned that it’s not okay to be yourself. Cultural messages of the so-called “ideal woman” permeated every facet of your life. You were told to cater to everyone and appear perfect even if you were hurting. This meant you had to be thin, conventionally attractive, and always calm and collected, as the “ideal woman” is an effortless endeavor. So, you wore makeup and certain clothes to look “pretty,” because you believed your appearance defined your social worth.

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To Those I've Hurt Before

I’m sorry for losing sleep. I’m sorry for never being able to sleep. I am sorry for blaming you for normal emotions. I’m sorry for believing what everyone said about me. I’m sorry for not sticking up for my feelings. I’m sorry for continuously putting you in toxic circumstances. I’m sorry for forgetting or ignoring your thoughts. I’m sorry for thinking you are disgusting.

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WSN Abroad: Celine Roest

However, despite my general positive attitude and ability to stay on top of my life, I am still constantly being pulled in different directions, which takes its toll on me, both mentally and physically. My life at school, like almost everyone else’s in college, is stressful. I also often find myself unable to sleep at night, constantly thinking about things I have no control over; this is always much more unnerving than small worries like an unfinished term paper or a bad grade on an exam.

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Decoding Depression

I have often thought of my depression as a murder that I have to solve. It is dramatic I must admit, but in the darker moments it is true it feels as though a life was lost – my own – the person I would have been, the things I would have done, the love I would have shown, had I not fallen into this hole.

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Small Steps to Courage

Short and sweet clichés that saturate our culture, like face your fears, tend to have some kernel of truth. With repetition, we learn to either reinforce our anxieties or learn to navigate the world with courage. Each step we take towards our intended selves, the selves that are able to triumph over our fears, leads us closer to gaining confidence over these fears.

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Learning To Love Yourself: Here’s Some Advice That Actually Works

If you find it difficult to even start a conversation with yourself about loving yourself, imagine that you’re thinking about someone you really love. Maybe a best friend or partner for whom you want the absolute best in life. Would you want them to pursue a career outside of their true passions? Or pull all-nighters all the time?

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Self-Growth Is Not Comfortable, But Don’t Be Held Back

For me, I was familiar with certain sets of attraction and relationship patterns that were ultimately self-destructive. Allowing myself the freedom to be independent and to choose those who are best for me felt weird. Sometimes people default back to familiar destructive patterns because they feel more safe and comfortable with them, but that’s simply a trick of the mind.

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You Don’t Know “Everything’s Going To Be Okay”: Here’s What To Say Instead

In the midst of our most difficult moments in life, we need to be supported with truthful evaluations of our situation and how to move forward. The notion that “everything’s going to be okay” isn’t necessarily true, unfortunately, and can be perceived as a flat-out lie when we need someone to feel our pain, and feel our hardships.

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