From a young age, many of us learn that vulnerability equals weakness. We’re taught to “be strong,” “hold it together,” and “never let them see you cry.” Whether through subtle cultural messages or direct experiences of being shamed or ignored when we opened up, we internalize the belief that showing our pain makes us less worthy, less capable, and less safe. So we adapt. We toughen up. We smile through sadness. We perfect the art of small talk to avoid the heaviness of real

Falling in love is pure magic. It’s the part of the story where everything glows. The first dates, the sparks, the feeling that someone finally sees you—it’s euphoric. That beginning phase is full of curiosity and hope, untouched by life’s sharp edges. You wake up excited to see their name pop up on your phone, you replay conversations in your mind, and you begin to imagine a future wrapped around each other. It’s beautiful—and often deceptively simple. But what we don’t tal

Persistent sadness can feel like an invisible weight—subtle but suffocating. You get through your daily tasks, meet responsibilities, even manage a smile when necessary. But underneath, there’s a quiet ache, a low hum of emotional heaviness that doesn’t lift. It’s not quite depression, not quite contentment. It’s the in-between—and many people are living there without realizing how much it’s draining them. But here’s the light at the end of that long tunnel: if your brain lea

You didn’t choose to feel powerless. You didn’t choose to doubt yourself at every turn. And you certainly didn’t choose to believe that no matter what you do, it just won’t be enough. But somewhere along the way—perhaps gradually, perhaps suddenly—you absorbed those messages. You learned to stop trying because trying didn’t seem to change anything. You learned to shrink yourself because growing didn’t feel safe. This message has a name. It’s called learned helplessness. And i

I’ve spent time working as a crisis counselor. And some moments never leave you. One woman I supported had recently survived a devastating accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down. She was once vibrant—independent, full of laughter, fiercely in love with her life. But after the accident, all of that changed. She told me, with clear resolve, that she planned to end her life two weeks after her son’s graduation. She wasn’t saying it for attention. She had a plan. S

Burnout has become so normal we think it’s just part of life. We tie our worth to how hard we work, how much we earn, and how many fancy things we own, only to be too exhausted to enjoy any of it. Hustle culture sold us a dream of grinding now and living later at sixty-something, if we even made it that far and still had good health. It’s a gamble many take without realizing the cost: stress, anxiety, and disconnection in the forty-something years in the workforce leading up

Most of us didn’t grow up in environments that welcomed full emotional expression. Whether it was being told “You’re too sensitive,” or being praised for being “low-maintenance,” we quickly learned which emotions were “acceptable” and which ones we should tuck...

If you’ve ever tried to leave an argument with someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), you know it’s rarely as simple as taking a deep breath and stepping away. A moment meant for cooling off can quickly spiral into accusations, panic, or emotional...

What if the root of our most challenging relationships lies in the deepest, unhealed parts of our childhood? Borderline Personality...