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Being around drunk people. Swallowing pills. Thunderstorms.

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What I’ve learned is that anxiety sometimes never goes away; it comes and it goes. It just becomes more manageable over time as you get to know your triggers.

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Even now, after 10 years of going back and forth to different doctors, going to the doctor increases my anxiety—let’s call it “doc-anxiety.”

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The invisible battle we are fighting looks different for everyone, but it’s very much there in many of us.

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Instead of telling me I look healthy, I would want them to ask me how I’m doing. It makes a world of a difference. 

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The truth about being Crohn’s-free is you are never truly free.

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Almost every image you see is altered in some way so that the person in it appears more attractive. Meanwhile the images you see of your own body are not altered.

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Looks can be deceiving, as a lot of things can be covered up by clothes. That’s why the chronic illness I have is called an invisible illness.

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You’ll remember how the washer works. You’ll spend time with friends and family. You won’t wear sweatpants. You’ll have resting happy face.

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I’m happy to report that I have found some relief from my treatment-resistant depression, which has plagued me for decades.