guilt

Teeth are inseparable from class in this country. Image: Thinkstock.

How An Exploding Tooth Made Me Confront My Own Classism

Teeth are inseparable from class in this country. I have gotten by in life largely by being able to “pass” as middle class, by being white and articulate and confident. People meet me and assume that I must have gone to college. Middle class people talk to me like I’m their peer. But I am not their peer. I will never be their peer.

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Most of the time I can't be present no matter how hard I try: not at the beach, not at a concert I've been eagerly anticipating, not with friends or family. It's frustrating at best. Image: Unsplash, Francisco Moreno

It's Hard To 'Live In The Moment' When You Dissociate

Supposedly, the happiest people are living in the moment, seizing the day, and generally living like it's their last day on earth. It all sounds inspired, wonderful, and profound. And simple. Who wouldn't be on board? Me, that's who. And somehow I suspect I'm not alone.

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Some people understood me immediately. They too had been suicidal, and they could empathize easily. Image: Thinkstock

What My Suicide Attempt Taught Me About Love

Suicidality is a strange thing. Sometimes you think you’ve shaken it off, but it’s actually still there, quietly brewing under the surface until something triggers it.

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For people who feel things deeply, just BEING is an intense experience. Image: Thinkstock.

4 Survival Tips For The Sensitive Soul

Dear Sensitive Soul: Are you having a hard time right now? Me too. I think a lot of us are.

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My daughter is about as sweet as they come. Image: Thinkstock.

My 2-Year-Old Is The Most Empathetic Person I Know

You see, every time we watch The Lion King — every freakin’ time Mufasa dies — her small fists ball up, her nose and brows furrow, and tears well up in her eyes. But instead of worrying about herself, she asks “Mommy, what happen? Dis sad?” She pauses and waits for my response, but when I let silence linger a moment too long, she asks again, “Dis sad, Mommy? Dis sad?”

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We are not robots. We are creatures who need both fuel AND comfort.

Let's Get This Straight: Emotional Eating Is NOT Bingeing

These are two concepts that I think we are all a little confused about. Even writing on this topic for four years, it’s taken me time to master explaining the difference between emotional eating and bingeing. We often use those two terms as if they’re interchangeable. But they’re absolutely not the same thing!

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I didn’t want to wean her for a lot of reasons, but the primary driving force was guilt.

I Force-Weaned My Child, And It Was Awful, For A While Anyway

She didn’t wean herself. There was no gradual decline in the frequency of nursing sessions, no mounting interest in outside activities, no moment of clarity in which she realized she didn’t need breastmilk. She would NEVER NOT NEED BREASTMILK. Breastmilk was the literal source of life for her.

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computer + baby = mom guilt.

6 Parenting Guilt Trips (And Why You Shouldn't Feel Guilty)

Parenting can be challenging . . . at the best of times. So when we end up doing all the things we vowed we would NEVER do when we had our own kids, we often feel like we've failed as parents. Well, guess what? You’re not alone, and it’s OK!

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