Stigma: Domestic Violence, Mental Illness, and Addiction

recent mental health

Am I Scared or Is It Grief? – Uncovering the Sad Feeling

18 Jun 2022

I used to feel this sad and heavy pain in my gut all the time. At times I could name it, pinpoint where the sad ...

Shame, Alcoholism, Stigma, and Suicide

29 Apr 2022

In addiction treatment circles, conventional wisdom suggests we have to let people hit rock bottom before we can help them. But what happens if rock ...

Stop Blaming Mental Illness for Gun-Related Violence

29 Apr 2022

It's a perfect scapegoat: if mental illness is the issue and healthcare is a privilege, the solution must be a stronger police state and more ...

Childhood Trauma, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Plastic Surgery Addiction

28 Apr 2022

Many people who have multiple plastic surgeries are looking for self-worth, not correction of a deformity. Most of the time when we talk about addiction, ...

How to Be Less of a Jerk – Part 2 – Admit Racism

09 Jun 2020

[Content warning: Racism] Just because someone doesn’t want to be racist doesn’t mean they aren’t. Contributing to white supremacy is racism. Supporting racists is racism. Excusing ...

Be Less of a Jerk 101: Racism Crash Course

08 Jun 2020

Stop getting offended when someone calls you white, part of white supremacy, a recipient of white privilege, or even *gasp* you get called racist. Instead, ...

domestic violence

Student debt made the domestic violence against me worse

14 Dec 2016

[TW: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE] Amount of debt: $85,000+ [with interest accruing] Source of debt: College Estimated time till debt free: Decades Debt wasn’t something I could ...

Donald Trump is Just Like My Abuser

14 Oct 2016

Content warning: Emotional abuse. I have not watched the presidential debates. I did not watch the GOP debates before that. I do not watch any ...

Should We Feel Empathy for a Mother Whose Neglect Killed Her Baby?

11 Oct 2016

In August, 62-year-old Kathleen Steele was arrested for the death of her infant child, who was killed by the hands of Steele’s 6-year-old son. Steele ...

Why Are We Surprised by Leniency for White Rapists

31 Aug 2016

It is kind to appreciate the spaghetti your little brother lovingly prepared for you even though the noodles were barely cooked and the sauce was ...

10 Horrifying Examples Of Modern-Day Child Slavery

07 Jan 2014

Childhood is defined by culturally set boundaries which have changed throughout human history. The acceptable age to work varies depending on the culture, but child ...

Domestic Abuse, It Happened To Me, It Can Happen To You

29 Oct 2013

It's amazing what details humans can recall, some are forever lost while others hold on fast and you can never escape them. It was near ...

addictions

Shame, Alcoholism, Stigma, and Suicide

29 Apr 2022

In addiction treatment circles, conventional wisdom suggests we have to let people hit rock bottom before we can help them. But what happens if rock ...

Childhood Trauma, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Plastic Surgery Addiction

28 Apr 2022

Many people who have multiple plastic surgeries are looking for self-worth, not correction of a deformity. Most of the time when we talk about addiction, ...

Long Term Effects of Overdoses on the Brain

28 Apr 2022

Despite what we know about how overdoses can kill, there is scant literature regarding chronic health outcomes for people who have survived multiple overdoses. Drug ...

No, You Aren’t a Drug Addict If You Take Antidepressants

28 Nov 2019

If you’ve read the L.A. Times recently, you might have come across an op-ed by journalist David Lazarus, who conflates his dependence on antidepressant medication with ...

8 Super Relatable Songs About Addiction and Recovery 2014-2019

25 Nov 2019

Drug-fueled parties, overdoses, stories of survival and despair. These songs deal with all that and more. There are so many songs celebrating the party lifestyle ...