Stories

Tzivia Appleman
Tzivia Appleman
Tzivia Appleman graduated from the HANC High School class of 2017. She spent the following year studying in Israel at MMY and is currently in its Shana Bet program. Afterwards, she will be attending NYU. Tzivia is from Plainview, New York and is the former Regional President of New York NCSY. She's a passionate Jew who loves to write and take down the stigma!
Tzivia Appleman
Latest posts by Tzivia Appleman (see all)

When I first started watching This Is Us, I immediately fell in love with the relatable and compelling storyline: the childhood, the adolescence, and the adulthood of a very special family that almost seems too perfect. That is until you realize that, from the very first moment, the family is far from “perfect,” making the Read More …

Sarah Last
Sarah Last is a passionate 21-year-old from Plainview, New York. She is currently attending Stern College for Women, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Education. Sarah has been diagnosed with anxiety, Depression, OCD and BPD and wishes to use her experience with mental illness to help others and break the stigma.
Latest posts by Sarah Last (see all)

Every morning when I get dressed (especially in the summer), I have a battle in my head, pondering this dilemma: “People will judge me and look at me differently.” “One of the reasons I self-harmed was to have scars.” “I don’t want to be embarrassed by my scars.” “What if I get uncomfortable stares and Read More …

anonymous
Latest posts by anonymous (see all)

PART 1: Today, I had an anniversary. It wasn’t a wedding anniversary or friendaversary. It wasn’t one of the “six months to the day that I almost killed myself” or “one year to the day my therapist called Hatzalah to get me to the hospital” anniversaries either. Today, I was marking three years with no Read More …

anonymous
Latest posts by anonymous (see all)

Editor’s Note: There is more to the stigma of psychiatric medication than one may think: There are the stigmas of going to therapy, of being diagnosed with a mental disorder, and of being prescribed medication for said disorder. However, there is also the stigma geared towards physically taking psychiatric medication, and that is much more Read More …

anonymous
Latest posts by anonymous (see all)

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part post. The first part discussed the tribulations of the author making it through a night with anorexia, OCD and suicidal ideation. The second part, below, discusses the author’s experiences in superficial Jewish culture as a demonstration of how Jewish society fosters self-image challenges and prioritizes the Read More …

123456
Latest posts by 123456 (see all)

It is understood today that people with autism are a common part of life. What isn’t understood is how they deal with mental health and how others can help them. This is particularly important because those on the spectrum are more likely to become depressed. Being someone who is on the autism spectrum, and also works Read More …

Tammi Pollack
Tammi Pollack is a teen girl with depression who hopes to use her experiences to help others.
Latest posts by Tammi Pollack (see all)

Dear World: There are so many things I wish I could tell you, but I don’t out of fear that you won’t understand. Yet, here goes. I’m a teen with mental illness. Let me set one thing straight right here – it’s an illness. NOT a weakness. It is not something I have control over. Read More …

anonymous
Latest posts by anonymous (see all)

We all have heard, in some form or another, the horrors that occur within the walls of the psychiatric unit of the hospital. Whether it be the straitjacket that people wear as they are strapped into a stretcher, carried off to procedures; or the crazy people that scream all day and are only quieted with Read More …