Megan Willis 9/21/21 Megan Willis 9/21/21

‘It Led Me Down a Path of Disordered Eating and Loneliness’: Opening Up About My Struggle with Emetophobia

When I was twelve, I had the worst stomach bug I’ve ever had. I don’t know if this was the trigger for what would plague my mind for the next decade, but it fits with the timeline. The ‘thing’ that I am alluding to here is emetophobia: an extreme fear of vomit…

Megan Willis 9/8/21 Megan Willis 9/8/21

Turning to Witchcraft: How Witchcraft Practices Can Improve Mental Health

Witchcraft encompasses mainstream ideas and practices such as yoga and meditation, mindfulness, manifesting, and seeing ourselves as one collective being. These practices have been utilised for years in CBT and other forms of therapy, and it makes sense…

Megan Willis 9/1/21 Megan Willis 9/1/21

‘Stares and the Judgement of Strangers’: Perspectives of the Pregnancy Test Purchase

Condoms, lubricant, pads, and everything in between sat readily available on the shelves. For the pregnancy tests, however, you had to take a strip of paper stating what the item was and bring it to the cashier for them to grab it for you. At this, it crossed my mind to leave the store. With everything else around sex easily and discreetly within reach, access to the tests felt like a production…

Megan Willis 8/25/21 Megan Willis 8/25/21

‘You Are Not Alone in What You Are Feeling’: The Trouble with Toxic Positivity

Toxic positivity stems from the idea that if we are going through something negative, we should “focus on the positive” and “look on the bright side”. These phrases, which so many of us internalise, negate the importance of allowing ourselves to feel the negative emotion in order to work through our pain and heal in our own time…

Megan Willis 8/19/21 Megan Willis 8/19/21

‘Don’t Hide Your Tampons in Shame’: Breaking the Stigma Around Menstruation and Learning to Love Your Period

Various cultures and religions have made comments on menstruation. The Bible states, “…in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean… whoever touches… shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening” (Leviticus 15). The Quran tells people to “go apart from women during the monthly course, do not approach them until they are clean” (Quran 2:222). These comments are dated in more ways than one, but they point to the historical manifestation of the shame around periods…

Megan Willis 8/12/21 Megan Willis 8/12/21

I Am the One in Ten: My PCOS Diagnosis

‘Poly’ means many, while ‘cystic’ means that my ovaries are larger than usual and have multiple (up to 20) cysts. The doctor walked me through the ins and outs of what the symptoms were and how I could treat them (taking the pill and metformin). Once I had my diagnosis, I knew what I had to do. Stick to my meds and exercise. Easy as pie, right?

Megan Willis 7/29/21 Megan Willis 7/29/21

Black Girl Bipolar: Mania and Other Magic Tricks

Depression was the first magic trick I ever learned. I knew how to be around my favourite people, all while trying to maintain the expectations of being a woman with a good head on her shoulders, all while feeling empty inside. Nothing seemed worthy of celebrating, and I didn’t like myself enough to care about anything…

Megan Willis 7/28/21 Megan Willis 7/28/21

‘Growing into a Healthier and Happier Human Being’: My Experience of In-Person and Virtual Therapy

During my sister’s first visit home, she was full of stories about the amazing experiences that she had been having. I sat and listened silently, anger bubbling inside. Then, one night, the anger burst in the form of a screaming rage. When a gap emerged between the screams and tears, my mum calmly stated that I should consider seeing a doctor. I accepted…

Megan Willis 7/27/21 Megan Willis 7/27/21

From Audre Lorde to Girl-Boss Feminism: The Evolution of Self-Love and My Journey to Embracing It

Self-love was a phrase I saw pasted on t-shirts and notebooks. It certainly didn’t seem like something that would be crucial to my survival as a woman, even though I’ve read and absorbed every word Audre Lorde has ever written. To me, self-love and self-care seemed like the commodification of feminism rather than the real political, collective work…

Megan Willis 7/21/21 Megan Willis 7/21/21

Troubled Mind, Troubled Gut: The Minefield of a Stress Induced IBS Diagnosis

Stress-induced IBS is a minefield because it’s difficult to know where to start. Will changing my diet fix me, or is the onus solely on me de-stressing my life (the latter of which is currently only possible if I up-sticks to Mongolia to live as a goat)? It’s also difficult to talk about. I see my issues as more highly inconvenient and disruptive than disgusting, but that’s not the general perception around IBS…

Megan Willis 7/14/21 Megan Willis 7/14/21

Schizophrenia, The Pandemic, and Me: My Experience in a Psych Ward During Covid

I had my third psychotic episode after stopping the medication that I had been on for ten years. This time it was around April 2020, just after covid was announced and lockdowns took effect. I was admitted to the hospital involuntarily. I was also diagnosed with schizophrenia. I was hospitalised for only a month. However, because of covid, my experience was profoundly different to those in my past…

Megan Willis 7/6/21 Megan Willis 7/6/21

In Praise of Quitting: Five Lessons from a Recovering Completionist

Despite the angst and uncertainty, quitting has been worth it. Finally, I’m overriding my completionist predisposition and acting in my own best interests. Quitting has taught me a lot. Here are the five lessons that I’ve learned…

Megan Willis 6/29/21 Megan Willis 6/29/21

Double, Double, Coil and Trouble: The History of Female Contraceptives and the Pursuit of Profit at the Expense of Women’s Health

When the oral contraceptive pill came out, it was lauded as a miracle. […] We should not, however, believe that the pill was (and still is) without drawbacks. This ‘miracle’ has a rather nasty history of coercion, misogyny, and malpractice, not to mention the lengthy and dangerous list of side effects.

Megan Willis 6/1/21 Megan Willis 6/1/21

Cristal or Crystal Clear? The Ups and Downs of Being Sober in a Drinker’s World

In a time not so long ago, sobriety was terminal. To give up drinking meant that you were an alcoholic, and to be an alcoholic was to have an incurable disease that is laden with years of prior shame. You were cast aside at family parties, uninvited to weddings, and you spent most of your social energy drinking bad coffee at AA meetings while you listened to other sick people sit in their shame. You were herded into alcohol-free zones, away from polite society. This is a stark contrast to the sober movement and community that I have found myself belonging to in 2021.

Megan Willis 5/29/21 Megan Willis 5/29/21

All Screwed Up: Recovering from My Fitness Obsession After Hip Surgery

Supporting this feeling of success was the attention that I was getting from those around me, who endorsed my slimmer and fitter self. I rationalised controlling my food with the fact that I was liked more like this. I was achieving greater things and fitting into society's image of a woman. The dangerous underlying negative impact of my obsession with sport and nutrition was ignored. It went on for years.

Megan Willis 5/22/21 Megan Willis 5/22/21

An Unrecognisable Reflection: Struggling with Identity Amid Depression

Navigating depression is hard when so many people tell you their own opinions. “You should have a better diet,” they say, “Just get over it,” or “It’s all in your head.” These thoughts run around in your mind like a rollercoaster at full speed. The twists and turns of what depression tries to make you believe leave you nauseated. That’s how it was for me.