Signed, the Daughter You May Someday Know

CN: graphic description of self-harm; discussion of suicide, teen homelessness, homophobia, religious opposition to homosexuality, familial rejection, and mental illness. Every openly LGBTQ+ person has a coming-out story. I grew up in an incredibly liberal town where bisexuality or any kind of sexual fluidity was common enough that I encountered very little resistance when I came out, which is why I haven’t written much about my own experience regarding sexual orientation on this blog. The …Read More

Why Chronic Illness Makes It So Hard to Leave Home

My chronically ill friends and I joke about the medicine cabinet worth of supplies we take with us on any trip that’s longer than an hour because we never know what we’re going to need. But why is such intensive preparation required for a simple outing? Why does chronic illness make it so hard to leave home, even for a few hours?

Understanding the Coping Mechanisms of Victims of Abuse

Making the decision to leave an abusive relationship is exceedingly difficult, and actually doing it is harder still since doing so safely often takes time and strategic planning. Christina takes an empathetic look at some common coping mechanisms of victims of abuse, some of which are used to keep them safe until they can leave, others that actually keep them in the relationship longer, but all of which are rooted in reasons that are significant to them.

Why I Stopped Taking Anti-Depressants

In today’s guest post, Sandra Jones looks at how even though medication increased her tendency towards positive feelings, it was still more detrimental to her in the long run to continue using it as a treatment, and she encountered a lot of resistance from the medical world in reaching that conclusion.

Open Me: How a Kid’s Kind Holiday Gesture Turned My World Upside Down

Clarity’s guest post today looks at how racism is so insidious, it creeps into situations and actions that a white person would never think twice about, and provokes a sense of life-consuming threat, regardless how kind or innocent the intention of the original gesture was.

Advice on Cancer from an Actual Real Cancer Having Person

Those of us who have dealt with a chronic illness understand the value of using humor to face the difficulty and often indignity involved in our daily life. We also use humor to connect with others, particularly those who have gone through the same trials that we have. Liz Winship’s advice on cancer is specific to her condition, but her advice rings true for anyone with chronic illness.