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 improbable it was. Every article I read — and I actually read quite a few —…
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 “Death and the Blade,” a romance-forward adult fantasy novel with #OwnVoices disability representation. Find her online at briehalbers.com and on social media @briehalbers.
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When it comes to sleep studies, I mainly remember orange juice. Don’t ask me why. I was young then, around 8 or 9, so I have to assume the technicians were trying to bribe me or something. My last study was in 2002, so I was a little nervous when…
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, I reblogged it, only to lose the original post in one of many archive cleanings. But…
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 (cue me, having a mild anxiety attack) — asked me right away if we could conduct…
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. Soft. And not just my voice, either. People rarely notice when I sneeze, because it’s such…
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 difference in my life, so I hope they may be able to help you, too. Don’t…
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 with an unbearable sense of … dread. Exhaustion. Never knowing what’s going to happen, and trying…
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 depression, but most of it is just … life. There’s always something bad going on. Another…
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 looks like, I had no way of pulling myself out. So I just sat at the…
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 midst of an attack, I won’t be anxious forever. I don’t struggle as much with anxiety…
I’m writing this in the car again, off to Iowa for a weekend of family visits. It was a busy week, so I’m looking forward to a couple of hours of driving. For me it is a chance to catch up on things: Grad school applications, classwork.
By the time this gets published, I’ll have started the last semester of my undergraduate career, which is exciting … and terrifying in equal measure. People always say it goes by fast, and in some ways it does, but all I’ve been able to think…
We made it home safely after a long road trip! And we’re all pretty much exhausted. We’ve been on some pretty intense trips over the years, but this one might be our personal best: upwards of a thousand miles in less than…
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