Category Archives: mental health

Cookies and Jams: How Jamming to Music and Feeding Squirrels Makes Me More Resilient

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Ryn PB

A few days ago, I woke up, went for a 4-mile run outside, then jammed out to Walk the Moon and Panic! at the Disco while getting ready for the rest of the day. And honestly, it was one of … Continue reading →

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Skeleton Faces and Coming Out: How I’m Learning that Confidence and Insecurities Can Live Side by Side

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Ryn PB

This past month has been weird, to say the least. My face got turned into half of a skull, I visited my friend Tricia in the hospital three hours away, I’ve been sick with a flu-sinus-infection hybrid, AND I came … Continue reading →

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Demetri Martin and Paw-Shaped Cake: How I’m Learning to Ask for What I Want and Need

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Ryn PB

I have this horrible habit of bottling up anything that’s bothering me because I don’t want to rock the boat of any of my relationships. This inevitably leads to an explosion, usually in the form of a panic attack or … Continue reading →

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Rock Band Wii Blisters: How I’m Gaining Confidence in the Things I’m Good at, Even if They’re Small

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Ryn PB

I’ve been home on winter break from college for the past month, and there have been ups and downs, but I managed to end the break on a high note. My dad, sister, and I went to the basement and … Continue reading →

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A Hospital, Twenty One Pilots, and a Fish’s Death: How Sadness Has Become Less Negative for Me

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Ryn PB

About halfway through November, I finally visited a friend who had been in the hospital for months. My excuse for not going was that no one invited me and I would figure out my friends had visited her after the … Continue reading →

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The Hydra Monster Woke Up Again: How I’m Trying to Look for Happiness in Spite of Anxiety Troubles

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Ryn PB

I haven’t been doing well lately. This is hard for me to admit, because I never want to add to the worries of anyone I love. And they worry. A lot. I have this outwardly calm exterior—some of my friends … Continue reading →

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Fall Out Boy, Five Hundred Dollars, and Feminist Authors: How I’m learning to accept the good alongside the bad

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Ryn PB

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten really bad at receiving compliments and accolades. It’s not because I’m modest; it’s because I’m self-deprecating. I indulge in negative self-talk and awkwardness when it comes to noticing good things about myself. Then … Continue reading →

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A Letter to My Skin: How I’m Learning to Accept It, Blemishes and All (TW: self harm)

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Ryn PB

Dear Skin, I have tattooed, cut, scarred, pierced, scratched, picked at, peeled, bruised, burned, and dried you out. Some of these I have done in pursuit of happiness and healing, some in pursuit of numbness, and others through mere ignorance. … Continue reading →

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Chester the Stud: How My Betta Fish Has Helped Me Feel Less Lonely and More Rooted in Reality

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Ryn PB

As Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day says, “I believe I’m a walking contradiction.” And I am. Actually, I am full of contradictions. I am a perfectionist, but I have several hobbies I’m not good at. I dislike crafting, but … Continue reading →

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Beating the Cobra Kai: How I’m Attempting to Come Back from a Mental Breakdown

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Ryn PB

A massive anxiety attack and a few weeks of crippling depression were all it took for me to start taking my mental health seriously again. It’s an eye-opener when you literally can’t work or make phone calls or even get … Continue reading →

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