mental health Archives

mental health

The words "You are going to be fine" written on a garage style door that is painted a soft pink.

I Used Instagram Mantras As Therapy — And It Worked

They served as daily messages your best friend should tell you when you’re hurting — and in desperate need of a silver lining.

Christina Anthony —

Jan 26, 2022

mental health

culture

A Black Woman’s Res(t)istance

“While the work to abolish systems of oppression continues on a large scale, we must care for ourselves in our daily lives.”

Amari Gaiter —

Sep 16, 2021

fat positivity

fatness

A dark-skinned transgender woman looking in the bathroom mirror at school.

first person

When Thin is a Trans Requirement

Body fat is central to how we perceive gender. So what does that mean if you’re a trans person?

Eli Cugini —

Aug 2, 2021

mental health

personal essay

A dramatically lit photo of a cup of coffee in a mug that reads "I woke up like this #tired" nestled into rumpled bedsheets along with an open hardcover book.

first person

Here’s What I Learned By Choosing to Step Away from Productivity For a Whole Day

I did nothing “productive” for a whole day: no email, no phone calls, no work, no cleaning, nothing that fuels my inherent Capricorn desire to win at Capitalism. Here’s what…

KaeLyn —

Jul 13, 2021

mental health

A dramatically lit photo of a person laying on their back in rumpled bedsheets, head turned to the side away from the camera

relationships

Is It My Partner’s Mental Illness Affecting Our Relationship – Or Abuse?

If you feel like a relationship is taking you away from yourself, if it’s making you sad and anxious, if it makes you doubt yourself… that information is more important…

Christina Tesoro —

Jul 8, 2021

bdsm

kink

cutouts of black & white prints of a pair of leather boots and a stylized snake on a black leather background

sex

Sadomasochism & Mental Health: Fetish

I don’t really have a lot left from childhood, and after a while, I became very into certain tangible objects. The idea that you could fetishize a material object instantly…

Sloane Holzer —

Jul 2, 2021

bdsm

kink

cutouts of black & white prints of collars and a stylized heart on a black leather background

sex

Sadomasochism & Mental Health: Boundaries

Kink is something that I can contextualize my life around, around eroticism generally, and that felt so at home in my brain. That I can have a container for a…

Sloane Holzer —

Jul 1, 2021

bdsm

interview

cutouts of black & white prints of a flogger and a human hand on a black leather background

sex

Sadomasochism & Mental Health: Self-Expression

“When I was diagnosed, and realizing how it affected me outside of the way that I eat, it’s these processes throughout my day or the way that my personality functions.…

Sloane Holzer —

Jun 30, 2021

covid-19

How To Survive A Post(?)-COVID World

Two light brown, hairy legs walk through ankle-deep water containing seaweed and farms. A pink and purple sunset is visible in the background.

first person

The 5 Stages of Choosing Myself During A Pandemic

If you keep pumping your arms, your legs will know what to do even when the world is crumbling around you.

shea wesley martin —

Jun 24, 2021

af+ personal essay

mental health

a very small Rachel, with blonde hair, is seen standing in front of an adult man who is wearing slacks, a white shirt and a tie. you cannot see the man's face due to the cut of the photo

af+

This Never Happened

On family, memory, scar tissue, a 1999 Red Sox game, unreliable narrators, and setting the story straight.

Rachel —

Jun 18, 2021

mental health

A young woman wearing a sleep shirt and shorts sits slouched on the edge of her bed, looking into a full-length mirror with a dissatisfied expression on her face

love + sex

Unlearning Shame, Relearning Pleasure: Resources on Healing From Purity Culture

Reflect on the ways in which you’ve internalized purity culture’s messages about sex, love, and what is “good” and what is “bad” or shameful in your own life

Christina Tesoro —

Jun 14, 2021

autostraddle behind the scenes

covid-19

Image reads "Editor's Note" in white writing on a black and grey background. There are small pink and orange icons, including speech bubbles, a camera and microphone.

af+

Editor’s Note: On ‘How To Survive A Post(?)-COVID World’

Regardless of how “post”-COVID our individual worlds might feel as restrictions are lifted, we are all still living through the trauma of a global pandemic.

Ro White —

Jun 8, 2021