It’s not all Black and White. — My skin is white. My ethnicity is mixed. I “pass.” I benefit from white privilege. I am an ally. But don’t call me white. Because I’m not. Not really. It’s something I’ve dealt with all my life: people assuming, quite understandably, given my appearance and that I grew up in…

The relentless drag of nighttime depression. — Trigger warning: depression & suicidal thoughts It might be a perfectly adequate day. Filled with tasks and to-dos and trivialities. You’re a functioning human being with routines and responsibilities; hopes and aspirations. But then, something stirs deep within you at sundown. It may not happen immediately, but with the darkness…

Let me take you down a 30-second rabbit-hole no one wants to find. — An intense pang of yearning homesickness for a time or a place you don't even know. The faintly buzzing static sensation of a bone-dry atmosphere, deep inside your skull. Like two polarized magnets inside your head— North and South. You try to push them together. …

Childhood is a roller-coaster when your guardian has Borderline Personality Disorder. — For as long as I can remember, the most “triggering” sight for me is seeing a grown man cry. For someone who prides themselves on rejecting gender stereotypes and indeed feels sadness whenever I see any fellow human breaking down, there is just something about the sight of a man’s…

It could be a blessing in disguise. — Feeling fragile? Crippling social anxiety, off your food and struggling to get out of bed each day? Maybe you feel an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, apathy, and impending doom? Don’t worry — you’re probably on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I mean no sarcasm or distasteful dismissal by this…

Your brain can play mind-blowing tricks on you. But it has good intentions. — Have you ever had that freaky feeling that you’re in a dream — but you’re actually awake? Nothing particularly strange may be happening but something about the world around you seems less… real? Or maybe it’s more of an inward disconnection. You may wake up one morning and it feels…

Some words on interreligious relationships, 5 years later. — This month, we reach our 5-year anniversary. I never thought we would make it this far. Not only because this was my first serious relationship. Not only because we come from different countries and the obstacles that can propose. …

Stress-induced seizures are a thing. Here’s what you should know. — We hear a lot about burnout these days — everyone knows at least one person who had to take long-term leave or quit their job because of it. I was one of those people who thought: “Sure — we all feel stressed sometimes — but work is just work, and…

And I wasn’t one myself. — I was 18. He was 13. Yes, you read that right. I never told anyone through fear that I wouldn’t be believed, and that it would make me look like the abuser. But several years have passed and I still can’t shake it off. I need to tell someone —…