In today’s episode, Contributing Writer Ruby Kagan speaks with James Downs, a lived experience mental health research expert in eating disorders, looking at the label of SEEDs “Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders” (SEEDs) and the recent approach of emphasizing “Harm Reduction” in eating disorder treatment. We discuss the systemic gaps in eating disorder treatments currently, […]
“Prozac Positivity” by Stephen James Smith, a poet and playwright from Dublin, is powerful spoken word piece where he opens up about his deeply personal experience with mental health and the role medication played in his journey. Known for his emotionally charged performances and honest storytelling, Smith has shared his work across nearly 1,000 stages […]
“While most places your mind saves JPEGs, mine has text files instead.” This is how Mike (name changed for anonymity) describes living with complete aphantasia. Coined in 2015, aphantasia affects approximately 4% of the population and is a condition characterized by the brain’s inability to visualize or imagine images. Though not classified as a disability […]
In the video titled Why You Can’t Just ‘Get Over’ Trauma: The Science Behind Healing, Dr. Erica Lee, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, delves into the complexities of trauma and the misconceptions surrounding its recovery. She emphasizes that trauma isn't merely an event but a profound psychological wound that alters the brain's functioning. Dr. […]
There’s a quiet devastation in realizing that your efforts didn’t lead where you hoped. In the End by Linkin Park is a gripping anthem of frustration and disillusionment—about pouring yourself into something only to watch it unravel, beyond your control. Released in 2001 on their debut album Hybrid Theory, the song blends rap-rock intensity with […]
The cascading waterfall in this photograph, a torrent of white against the dark, rugged rock, is a visceral experience even in its stillness. You can almost hear it, the insistent rush of water, the thunderous splash as it collides with the rocks below. The sound, imagined yet palpable, is a powerful metaphor for the tumultuous […]
Hood Feminism, written by Mikki Kendall, is a powerful collection of essays that draws from her lived experience as a Black woman growing up in Chicago, Illinois. Through a personal invitation, Kendall explores the intersections of race, gender, and class, shedding light on how mainstream feminism often fails to address the everyday realities faced by […]
Grief is something many people struggle to understand. We’re often told to “move on” after losing someone, but in her emotional TEDx talk, Nora McInerny explains that it doesn’t really work that way. After losing her husband, father, and having a miscarriage all within a few weeks, she realized that grief doesn’t just go away—it […]
Billie Eilish’s haunting single “bury a friend” grapples with themes of fear, dissociation, and mental anguish. Released in 2019 as part of her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, the track delves into Billie’s unconscious, exposing listeners to anxious thoughts typically hidden or suppressed. The song takes on the ominous […]
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/92u7vu9vutjsq2r5/Japneet_Podcast_1_b46gv.mp3 In today’s episode, Contributing Writer Japneet Kaur speaks with Dr. George Slavich, director of the UCLA laboratory for stress assessment and research and a pioneer in the field of stress science and human social genomics. With him we dive into the conceptualisation of stress, its effects on the human brain, body and immune system, […]