There are certain struggles that are playing the slow, degradation game. They show up sideways, in quiet rituals you may have practiced for so long you barely notice the lie anymore. Body dysmorphia is one of those struggles. It rarely announces itself with clarity or force.

There is a particular kind of pain that does not present cleanly on the surface. It embeds itself into your relationships, reactions, and the quiet moments of irritation a person never feels fully able to name.

Regardless of what brought you here, I am glad you are here. Some of us find ourselves exploring bipolar disorderbecause a clinician like me or maybe your primary care provider happened to mention it to you, and it feels like it has been nagging at you ever since.

Anxiety has become a mainstay in our vernacular over the years, and yet, maintains an almost mystical quality in its definition, symptoms, and best ways of dealing with it. I think it is high time to look at it closer from a clinical lens.

There’s usually a moment, sometimes it’s in a grad school info session, sometimes after your third friend says, “you’re really easy to talk to”, where you wonder, could I do this for real? Tucked underneath that is the scarier question: what am I actually signing up for?

Many people hesitate to seek therapy, often believing that it’s only for those in crisis or that they should be able to “handle things on their own.” Therapy isn’t just for those at rock bottom, it’s a proactive, empowering step that can benefit nearly anyone navigating emotional challenges, big or small.

Shame is one of the strongest emotions we can all feel. How would shame try and be in your way this week? What do you need to remember about yourself in those moments to keep those narratives from sticking? When shame arrives on the scene, you need to pay very close attention to the narrative it is trying to sell you. Did you really do that thing because you are a “terrible person” or were you simply trying to do something and it just didn’t turn out the way you wanted? How many other explanations are out there that have nothing to do with some sort of internalized shame-based narrative? My guess and clinical opinion… hundreds.

We have all heard the phrase, “opposites attract.” I am here to tell you that might be wonderful and exciting in the beginning of your relationship, it may promote personal growth and development, hell, it might even get you out of your comfort zone. I would be very curious to see what happens to that relationship even a couple of months later if the fit is not correct. I am not one for doom and gloom, but I am one for realistic expectations of how people operate. By the end of this article, I am going to try and sell you on “birds of a feather flock together” instead.