Posts Tagged: anxiety
Sex as Self-Harm
The writer acknowledges that this topic is a sensitive subject. They would like to post a trigger warning for those triggered by mentions of self-harm. I’ve been chronically depressed since the age of 12. Which sounds ridiculously young, but that’s life. When my family made a drastic move from Michigan to Georgia, my once lively self became quiet and withdrawn. I was suddenly eating more than usual, hiding it from my family. After class I would spend time in my closet upstairs, holding my breath and thinking of ways to make growing up go by just a little bit faster. I didn’t wake up excited for what happened next, and I didn’t find the world full of endless possibilities. For me, living was just something I did. I had no… Read more »
It’s Okay to Struggle with Self-Care
There’s currently an entire movement going on aimed at teaching people proper self-care. I think this is a great idea with great intentions; however, I find the saturation of this content to be a bit stressful at times. I would argue that we are constantly being bombarded with lists and articles telling us how to best take care of ourselves. It seems sort of counter-intuitive to me. I’m stressing out about all of these articles telling me how not to stress out? I’m stressed out because I’m struggling to make time for these things that are supposed to cure me of my stress? I’m here to tell you that self-care is more than just doing yoga and taking bubble-baths. (Don’t get me wrong, those things can work wonders, but it’s not… Read more »
How to Cope with Anxiety in Activism
As social justice activists, we often talk about and fight for serious subjects. Often, these subjects aren’t happy, and might trigger bad memories or anger in the people discussing them. For example, I sometimes are triggered by discussions of sexual assault, and will often have a panic attack, or another form of anxiety. It was important for me to try and find a way to cope with this, because I wanted to still participate in these conversations. I found some ways for dealing with my own anxiety toward activism issues that might bring you some relief if you react to certain subjects as well. These fixes might also be helpful for those who get angry easily during debates, as the goal for them is to calm you down, whether from… Read more »
