2018: A Year for New Beginnings
I like setting goals and making lists of everything I want to accomplish over the next 12 months. But resolutions feel dangerous to me — mainly because I never…
The Wolf Finally Frees Itself
— Brianna Albers
Brianna Albers (she/her) is a crip-cyborg storyteller living in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 in 1996 and lives with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions. By day she works as an advocate, bridging disability and mental health awareness to empower people to live their best lives; by night, she dabbles in imagination, and is currently writing “An Angel in the Garden,” an adult space fantasy with #OwnVoices disability representation. Find her online at briannahopealbers.com and on social media @briehalbers.
Featured Post
Putting yourself — your whole self — out there is a challenge
I prefer to write columns after everything is said and done. It’s why I didn’t tell you all about my dad’s cancer until I knew he was going to be OK. I write…
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Another Year, Another Adventure
You may have noticed I was essentially AWOL throughout the month of December. I certainly wasn’t planning on disappearing, but you never can truly prepare for a two-day…
SMA and Days of ‘Bad Body Vibes’
I’ve always had a weird relationship with my body, and I’ve always struggled to put that relationship into words. I don’t struggle with self-image; my reflection isn’t distorted.
Finding Gratitude in Unexpected Places
I’ve been having a lot of headaches lately and, naturally, my anxiety had me convinced I was going to die of a brain tumor. I knew, of course, how…
Raised by the Internet
A year or so ago, I came across a zine on Tumblr that was all about being “raised by the internet.” It was an interesting, enjoyable read, so naturally,…
What Comes Next: Graduate School and Beyond
I survived my interview! Funnily enough, we never even got to voice/video chat. My interviewer — the director of the entire mental health counseling program, apparently…
Struggles with My Voice Lead to Fear and Anxiety
I have always struggled with my voice. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) causes muscle degeneration and weakness. In this case, it means that my voice is quiet.
3 Things to Help with Depression, Part 2
In continuation of last week’s column, here are three more things you can try that might help with depression. They’re all things that have made a…
4 Things to Help with Depression
It’s easy for me to hide behind a computer screen and tell you that it gets better. To believe that it gets better – yet still wake up every morning…
It Gets Better
I don’t know about you, but it’s getting harder and harder to keep my head above water these days. Part of it is school and part of it is…
Adventures, Winging It, and the Dangerous Business of Going Out Your Front Door
A few years ago, right around the time I started college, I fell into the deep, dark hole that is depression. Not knowing what the hole of depression usually…
I’m Not Normal, and That’s OK
I always get something out of my therapy sessions. Sometimes it’s a word or a phrase. I’ll never forget when my therapist told me that, even in the…
