When people hear that someone is “in recovery,” the reaction is usually relief. There is an assumption that things are getting better, lighter, and easier. Social media does not help either; it often presents recovery as an upward, empowering journey filled with before-and-after photos, glow-ups, and captions about self-love. What rarely gets discussed is how messy, difficult, and non-linear eating disorder recovery actually is. People in eating disorder recovery often move t

The theory of queer temporality explores the non-normative life rhythms and alternative futures of queer experience. Heteronormative ideas of intimacy, family building, and reproduction often look different for those whose identities and experiences fall outside heteronormative paradigms. Queer temporality rises in part in opposition to the heteronormative institution of family itself to explore different ways of relating and being. The concept of queer time was most notable

Often, January arrives with a familiar message: reset, recommit, improve. We’re encouraged to re-evaluate our lives, set goals, and show up differently in the new year. That impulse can be meaningful and motivating. I do believe reflection and intention-setting are valuable practices. However, I think it’s also important to remember this: we are allowed to reassess and change course at any point in our lives, not just in January. Growth doesn’t require a calendar reset, and i

For many high-achieving Asian Americans, professional success has come with an unexpected cost: emotional numbness. There's a disconnection between outer accomplishments and inner experience, like watching your own life from behind glass. This isn't a personal failing. It's often a survival strategy shaped by cultural expectations and the "model minority" myth. What helped you succeed may now be keeping you from truly living. If this resonates with you, know that reconnecting

Often, January arrives with a familiar message: reset, recommit, improve. We’re encouraged to re-evaluate our lives, set goals, and show up differently in the new year. That impulse can be meaningful and motivating. I do believe reflection and intention-setting are valuable practices. However, I think it’s also important to remember this: we are allowed to reassess and change course at any point in our lives, not just in January. Growth doesn’t require a calendar reset, and i

The New Year arrives wrapped in possibility. Fresh calendars, new planners, bold resolutions. And yet, for many people, January doesn’t feel hopeful—it feels heavy. Instead of excitement, there’s exhaustion. Instead of motivation, there’s a quiet voice whispering, “Why try? Nothing really changes.” That voice often isn’t laziness or lack of willpower. It may be learned helplessness  speaking. What Is Learned Helplessness? Learned helplessness is a psychological concept first

In the performing arts, the body isn’t just part of what we do—it is the instrument. It is expression, communication, identity, and our livelihood. So when the body is injured, it is never just a physical event. It can shake the foundation of who we believe ourselves to be. Around Thanksgiving, 2015, I experienced this firsthand when I tore my left ACL while in a class—suddenly with no warning or prior pain/injury. My entire world stopped. Overnight, I went from performing, t

One of the first things people in eating disorder recovery are told is to “be honest” and “seek support.” That sounds simple, even therapeutic. But for many of us who have actually lived it, such advice can feel terrifying. Because honesty, in the world of eating disorders, does not always bring freedom; it can bring scrutiny. When you open up, you risk losing control—the very thing most people with eating disorders fear—not only over how others perceive you, but over how you

One of the most painful and pervasive beliefs people carry—often silently—is “I’m not good enough.”  It sits beneath the surface of daily life, shaping relationships, self-esteem, decision-making, and emotional well-being. For many, this belief didn’t appear overnight. It developed slowly, through repeated experiences of criticism, neglect, comparison, trauma, or emotional invalidation. Over time, the nervous system begins to interpret these experiences as evidence of persona

Elyn Saks’s Story The author and subject of the memoir The Center Cannot Hold , Elyn Saks, was diagnosed with schizophrenia during her first year of law school at Yale University. Despite her overall ability to achieve both academic and professional success over the course of her life, during psychotic episodes her level of functioning within her work, self-care, and relationships was markedly impaired and threatened the integrity of both her self and her endeavors. In the he

Many girls and women are undiagnosed with ADHD, meaning they are also lacking support and treatment for a mental health condition that can have rippling effects in their lives. Women are more likely to be diagnosed in adulthood than as a child, even though ADHD typically onsets by adolescence. This means many women spend years feeling the impacts of ADHD, which often leads to lower self-esteem and other negative emotional effects. On the other hand, men are much more likely t

Non-monosexuality is a term that includes a wide range of identities and refers to experiences of attraction that don’t fall under the categories of exclusively heterosexual or exclusively homosexual attraction, such as bisexuality and asexuality. Non-monosexuality challenges the very categorization of sexuality itself. It subverts the notion that sexuality is fixed and definable—that it’s a stable and reliable point from which to form identity. Both bisexuality and asexualit

For many of us, perimenopause arrives without warning. One day we feel like ourselves—capable, grounded, and clear—and the next, it’s as if our body and mind no longer play by the same rules. Suddenly, we’re wide awake at 3 a.m., heart racing, thoughts spinning, profuse sweating, and emotions high. We start to wonder: Is something wrong with me? We’re not crazy. We’re changing. Perimenopause is the natural, often misunderstood transition before menopause that can last up to a

ADHD is a well-known but often misunderstood mental health diagnosis. Although attitudes around ADHD, which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are becoming less stigmatized as research on the topic grows, many people still have negative perceptions of it. For a long time, it was seen as something children grow out of, but ADHD persists into adulthood for most people with a childhood diagnosis. Unfortunately, there are still lots of misconceptions about peopl

Substance use is often seen as the problem itself—something to fix, stop, or eliminate. But for many people, substance use is not the beginning of their story; it’s what comes after. It’s the bandage they reach for when the pain becomes unbearable. It’s an attempt to quiet the noise of trauma, loneliness, rejection, or despair. To truly address substance use, we must look beneath it—to the unhealed wounds it tries to numb. The Need to Numb When someone turns to alcohol, drugs

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month - a time to shed light not only on physical violence but also on the invisible wounds of...

Healing often requires conversations that we never had the chance to have. Words left unspoken, pain left unprocessed, and needs left...

Have you ever felt pulled in two opposite directions emotionally even though the “right” emotion to feel is supposed to be happiness?...

When you hear the word “storytelling,” you might think of fairy tales, fables, or ghost stories around a campfire. When we think of...

Content trigger warning: discussion of suicide, suicide attempt, self-harm, and involuntary hospitalization. If you are in the U.S. and...