Scrupulosity, informally known as religious OCD, is a unique representation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that affects individuals from various religious communities. By definition, it is a variation of OCD where individuals are plagued with intrusive...
A few years ago I tried taking my own life. I jumped 35 feet onto concrete. My brother took his own life when I was 21 so I already felt genetically dispositioned. Right before I jumped I remember thinking all this was too much. I felt I had the weight of the world on...
Talk about Breaking Taboo, right? Perhaps it’s the case that most parents don’t quite understand therapy and all that it has to offer, but immigrant parents are particularly averse to the concept of talk therapy. Maybe it’s tradition, maybe it’s misconceptions, or...
A Word on Pill Shaming            There are a number of reasons that prevent people from seeking, and ultimately receiving mental healthcare. Clearly, structural barriers contribute to these cases (i.e. some tangible lack of access to medicine). More subtle but no...
drip drip drip drip The sound of my single serve coffee maker pours out a fresh cup this Monday morning. I start to write in my journal— a scale from 1 to 5. My therapist had me do this exercise ranking how I feel on any particular day; 1 being awful, 5 feeling like I...
Note: This article discusses mental health parity within the context of the U.S. healthcare system; globally, healthcare systems vary and have distinct challenges and strengths. When someone experiences a mental health challenge or a challenge with using drugs or...
I write stories that come from personal truths through authentic life experiences to voice the realities of the human condition to shed light in areas of our darkness. My perception of our world has been shaped and forged by a plethora of experiences; some filled with...
~ Marco Francis ~
What is Depression? One of the world’s leading causes of disability, depression is a mental illness that is frequently experienced with symptoms of dejected moods, disinterest, excessive self-criticism, and many others. Given the pervasiveness of depression as an...
As of October 2021, there are 241 million COVID-19 cases worldwide with 4.91 million COVID-related deaths (Source: Google real-time data). In some countries, people have been required to stay at home for months on end, devoid of any kind of human interactions. Under...