Mental Health

They were having lunch with a friend. Everything was going fine. The restaurant was pleasant. The conversation was easy. Their friend was telling a story about work, and they were listening, asking questions, laughing in the right places. From the outside, nothing seemed unusual. They weren’t having one of the “run to the bathroom” moments…

At first, he approached his IBS like a problem he could solve if he just tried hard enough. He read articles late at night. Ordered supplements. Read another book. Tried a new routine. Downloaded meditation apps. Practiced breathing exercises. Started another symptom tracker. Tracked symptoms. Tracked stress. Tracked sleep. Paid closer attention to his body.…

By the middle of sophomore year, she knew every private bathroom on campus. There was one in the basement of the library that almost nobody used. Another hidden behind an administrative hallway in the student center. A single-stall bathroom near the art building that stayed quiet between classes. When she walked into a new building,…

Why does my body keep doing this? Sometimes the questions started late at night. The symptoms were quiet for the moment. The house was finally still. And that’s when her mind became the loudest. She picked up her phone. Opened another article. Read another explanation. Maybe it was genetics. Maybe it was the stomach virus she…

For weeks before the trip, she tried to convince herself she was excited. The flights were booked. The hotel looked beautiful online. Friends kept saying things like, “You deserve this,” and “It’ll be so relaxing once you get there.” Part of her hoped they were right. Another part of her was already mentally rehearsing everything that could go…