They say it is a holiday of freedom Celebrate Remember Rejoice in redemption But I do not need to taste salt water to be reminded of tears. And I do not need to eat a poor man’s bread to be reminded of affliction. We awaken each morning to another day of slavery, bound to a Read More …
I don’t want to feel like a fish with no water. I want to feel the water’s pulse as I wade. I will make sure to hydrate throughout the day to keep myself going. I don’t want to feel like an overinflated balloon that will pop at any moment. I want to be filled with Read More …
I have battled depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and ADHD for much of my life. My first diagnoses came in the ninth grade in the form of PTSD, mild social anxiety, and severe depression. I knew I needed help and that what I was feeling and going through mentally should not be a forever feeling. My Read More …
I sit here like everyone else, eating our Friday night Shabbos meal which Ima (my mother) prepared for us. I smile when my charismatic brother Shimon says something funny, I listen to Abba’s (my father’s) dvar tora (sermon), and I laugh when my 1-year-old niece Ahuva claps to herself after saying amen to the bracha Read More …
A friend of mine recently posted a meme on social media about how her home sometimes feels like an insane asylum. It got a lot of laugh emojis and a bunch of joking comments from other mutual friends of ours. I chose not to hit the like button. When you have spent a significant amount Read More …
Author’s Note: I write this piece from an awareness of how necessary it is to admit my struggle with mental health, how urgent it is that I reach out for help, and how much hope I can have if only I wouldn’t keep myself so alone, hiding behind the image of perfection. He walks the streets Read More …
I never thought I’d be here. I’ve always had a ‘Type A’ personality. As a student, I was an over achiever and wanted to get 100s on my tests not for anyone else, but to prove to myself that I was a hard worker. Running Out of Gas This mentality quickly spiraled to dangerous lows. Read More …
When meeting someone new, it’s normal to ask them where they went to high school. Usually, it’s a pretty easy question to answer, but with me, it’s a little difficult. I was in the same Jewish school for my entire life up until ninth grade. Then came the high school transition, which was very difficult Read More …
I don’t know anybody who is as happy as I am tonight, as I sit down to google and try to find a psychiatrist in my neighborhood who can prescribe me psychiatric medication. I am just so elated to get the medication that can help me live my life better. So I google and open Read More …