In January, I went to my gynecologist mildly concerned about some itchiness and pain in my nether regions. I expected a simple diagnosis—some kind of weird bacterial infection or an allergic reaction. Instead, I learned that I have a chronic condition called lichen sclerosus (LS), which is believed to be an auto-immune disorder. Basically, my […]
Sisters in Mental Illness: Shaley Hoogendoorn Talks to Jessica Birak of Mint & Birch
by on June 26, 2019 Leave a Comment
[ Trigger Warning: Mention of abuse, as well as an eating disorder.] This month, Shaley Hoogendoorn talks to Jessica Birak, founder of the jewelry company Mint & Birch, who is also a vulnerable and honest advocate for mental health. They talk about topics related to anxiety, depression, postpartum, hypochondria, eating disorders and healing from childhood […]
The Worst Best Day
by on June 6, 2019 Leave a Comment
I groggily blink a few times while my phone alarm softly chimes. I stretch my arms and legs as far as I can muster and then lie very still. I am waiting. Waiting for the voices that have shown up each morning without fail. They tell me to throw the covers over my head. To […]
Sisters In Mental Illness: Mama Grief
by on April 22, 2019 Leave a Comment
“[My connection with Jesus] didn’t look like what I thought it had to look like. It didn’t have to take place in a church building. It didn’t have to involve worship or the bible. It felt a little risky at first, but I’ve met God in the ER, in the hospice, in death, in life, […]
What Women Look Like On the Inside
by on February 21, 2019 Leave a Comment
My mom always carried a large purse. One year it was a black macramé number. The next, brown pleather. While she sat at the kitchen table paying bills I would rummage through it. Peppermints, a smattering of pennies, bent bobby pins, tissues stamped with pink lipstick. “This is what women look like on the inside,” […]
