Depression didn’t show up quietly. It didn’t knock gently or ease itself in. It hit me like a storm I never saw coming.For a long time, I felt like I was trapped inside a glass case — able to see the world around me, but convinced no one could truly see me. My body ached. My spirit was exhausted. And the more I tried to hide the pain from myself and everyone around me, the worse it became. People sensed something was wrong. I could see it in their eyes. Yet we all pretended e

The sadness began to dominate, the phobias started to prevail, and a sense of helplessness in my environment set in. Usually people with anxiety disorders hide it well, although in their minds they think everyone can tell. The fear of everyone looking at them when near other people is overwhelming. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population). Anxiety disorders dev

Self-expression is having a moment — but are we really being authentic, or just performing it? Let’s talk about showing up as ourselves (and laugh about the heavy stuff while we’re at it). Self-expression has become my new small obsession. Maybe it’s midlife. Maybe it’s the slow realization that I’ve spent years editing myself — for work, for relationships, for comfort zones that weren’t even mine. We talk a lot about authenticity these days — it’s basically the glitter of