Global Health Mag

Sick days. They’re something we all get a certain amount of, and something we all take a certain amount of — some more than others. Growing up, I had the blessing of being raised by two teachers — two teachers who got it. While they might not have known at the time that I was struggling with anxiety and depression (neither did I back then), …

Body acceptance. Body love. Body positivity. These all sound like wonderful things, but as we found out this week when a troll commented on Billie Eilish’s body, they may not really be possible right now. On Monday, October 12, an account on Twitter posted a picture of 18-year-old Billie Eilish in a tank top and shorts and accused her of …

In the past few months since being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), I have had new and unique challenges that I have not had to face before. At the same time, though, with the diagnosis has come treatment in the way of weekly therapy sessions and building a strong connection to being mindful. “Lean into the emotion,” they say. “Let …

Over the weekend, two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, left 29 people dead. Following public outcry for gun reform, President Donald Trump blamed social media, violent video games and mental illness for the shootings. In a briefing on Monday, Trump condemned the shootings, white nationalism and racism while calling for reforms in a number of areas to …

What I have struggled most with is shame. I use language intentionally. And strategically. I have, to me, connotes something perpetual, but not necessarily something permanent. Each week, I attend a DBT group. DBT, or dialectical behavior therapy, is a form of therapeutic treatment geared primarily toward those with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It aims to support those struggling with BPD in learning how …

One of the most important parts of breaking a stigma is education. The more we know about something the less we fear it. Some things are really hard to understand though. When it comes to the thought process of a mental health issue, understanding is often complicated because the person experiencing it can struggle to understand it themselves at times. People have …

Love is a complex emotion that is backed by an equally complex chemical reaction inside the brain. Falling in love is usually something that can be beautiful, exciting and wonderful. Sure, there are always challenges in a relationship, because love itself rarely takes into account things such as chores, bills and day-to-day stressors. Love is work in the long run …

Never in my life did I think I would say this, but I respect Kim Kardashian West the most out of any Hollywood star. You may be wondering, Marie, why do you care about Kim K when you literally hate everything about the ableist society that worships celebrities? Great question! • What is Bipolar disorder? She’s real. She owns her life. There is …

When you meet me, you would never know I have a mental health condition. The first inkling might be the numerous self-harm scars on my right arm, but even then they’re faded and old — they could be from years ago. There’s nothing to say I’m suffering now. And yet, here I am. I am cheery, I am engaged and I …

I’ve tried to reach out to so many people for help these past few months, and all that’s done is given me the label “attention-seeker,” written off as manipulative, a liar and a waste of time. Attention-seekers like myself are written off as lost causes instead of treated like people who are seriously and constantly hurting, who are only “wasting …

Having a personality disorder isn’t like a lot of other conditions. It isn’t a visible illness. There is no way to look at someone and see they have struggled with a constant fight inside their own head. Having a mental illness is frustrating and discouraging for the person with the illness, much less the people around them who love them. There …

British comedian Joe Tracini has lifted the veil on borderline personality disorder (BPD) in a way I’ve never seen before. His extremely unique blend of comedy and hard-hitting content left me feeling inspired but also slightly triggered. I related to his story and his various descriptions of BPD far more than I expected.  Joe has been on the acting scene in the UK for …

Living with a personality disorder like borderline personality disorder (BPD) comes with intense emotions. That’s exactly how I summarize the disorder for others: intense emotions and poor coping skills for dealing with those emotions. Skills and coping tools can be learned in therapy though, especially with DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), but you are still left with big emotions. No matter …

I’ve heard far too often from others, “Don’t use your mental illness as an excuse.” I know I am responsible for my own actions, behaviors and choices. Mental illness doesn’t excuse that, as I have control over my decisions. Mental illness does make it more difficult for me to navigate life, and it affects my decision making. On the surface, it just looks like “I’m difficult” …

While getting any mental illness diagnosis can feel scary, getting a borderline personality disorder diagnosis (BPD) can be especially daunting. There’s a lot of misinformation and unfair representation of BPD, and it can make you feel like the diagnosis is hopeless. But there is hope for people living with BPD. It’s important to remember that dialectical behavior therapy, a common way to …