Kelly Brown Douglas
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Articles by Kelly Brown Douglas
The Truth Is, You Make Me Weak For Your Love
We’ve all experienced the pain of falling for someone we can’t have, but with the current state of the world, we can now experience the unexpected pain of falling for someone we can’t have yet. This poem is inspired by the physical and emotional anguish of knowing that you have to wait to spend quality time with someone you’re beginning to love and how you’re prone to feeling weak when those emotions arise. Everything hurts I writhe in pain As I sink Further And further Into the promise of you.
God, Please Help Me Find The Way
I’m lost, directionless, and lonely, tossing and turning in my sleep, praying that You will pave the way for me to discover my purpose. God, as you guide me through the turbulent times, please help me find the way, the path to a happy, fulfilling life. God, please shelter me through the storms. As the fog thickens and the sky grays, pull me into You, reminding me that by Your grace, I will survive.
Let God Surprise You With His Perfect Timing
You wonder when life will look up for you, when you’ll step into the light and begin achieving your dreams. You wish you didn’t feel like you were falling so far behind in life and love, laboring away at an unfulfilling job, waiting for someone special to sweep you off your feet. But as you pray for new beginnings, remember that God has perfect timing. God will wait for you to heal. He sees your deep pain, the scars you bear and the wounds you bind.
I Don't Know What I Did To Deserve Your Love
By Kelly Douglas I don't know what I did to deserve your love. You shower me in kindness, envelop me in affection, and douse me in love. You cherish me wholeheartedly, accepting every weathered piece of my soul without reservation, admiring my faults, adoring my imperfections, and believing I deserve your love. In your eyes, I am flawless; a living embodiment of perfection; majestic, regal, and undeniably rare.
Why You Deserve More Than The One Who Left You
By Kelly Douglas Your heart’s buried beneath the rubble of broken promises, sharp accusations, and the unbearable weight of emotional distance. Their absence suffocates you; dragging you further and further into the impenetrable wounds of heartache, but you deserve more. The empty space in the bed you shared haunts you, compelling you to long for their hand holding yours, their heart cherishing yours.
The Easiest Way To Get Your Potato Peels Right Off
How to get potato peels right off without the hassle Instead of spending hours with a potato peeler, leave your stress at the kitchen door and try this method for making potato peel slide right off. The answer is simple: Boil potatoes with the peel on (per Williams-Sonoma). While most people peel potatoes before boiling them, there's no rule that says you can't do it the opposite way.
TikTok's Ice Trick For Reheating Leftover Rice Is Blowing Minds
By Kelly Douglas|Jan. 13, 2023 3:38 pm EST Rice fans, rejoice — there's an easier way to reheat your leftovers. If you accidentally cook yourself too much rice or just love having leftovers, you'll love this TikTok hack from @OfficialTikTokNurse. The video has been shared thousands of times, and it's blowing people's minds. Everyone has a strategy for reheating rice, but not many have thought to try this one.
Alton Brown's Brilliant Egg Carton Trick To Avoid Mustard Water Forever
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images By Kelly Douglas|Jan. 12, 2023 1:47 pm EST If you love condiments, you may be familiar with that feeling of horror that washes over you when you go to your refrigerator, pick up a bottle of mustard, and find that it's nearly empty. You might try to shake it forcefully so you can use every last drop in the bottle — only to squeeze out a dab of mustard with a puddle of "mustard water" around the edges.
What Time Does Bojangles Transition From Breakfast To Lunch?
If you love chicken, chicken, and more chicken, lunch is the perfect time to head to Bojangles. What makes lunch at Bojangles so delicious? You can get nearly any breast-wing-thigh combination of fried chicken, so whether it's a dark meat day or you're craving white meat, you can satisfy your hankering for your favorite type of chicken (via Bojangles).
What It Was Like Taking Dance Lessons With Cerebral Palsy
When my boyfriend suggested signing us up for a dance lesson at the local dance studio, I felt hesitant. Aside from just under two years of ballet lessons as a child, I’ve never danced — and for good reason. I’m not a good dancer, and I worried my disability could easily prevent me from being able to learn the steps at all. I told him that dancing sounded awesome and that I was excited to try it out — but I felt full of anxiety.
Why We Need to Talk About Anorexia When We Discuss Suicide Prevention
Anorexia nervosa can be fatal — 10% of people living with anorexia die from the mental illness. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition — which can be terrifying knowledge for people with eating disorders — but there’s very little discussion about why so many people with anorexia pass away.
'The Bachelorette' Is Reducing the Stigma Around Men's Mental Health
The “Bachelor” franchise may be best known for its champagne-fueled drama, competition to earn roses, and in-house infighting, but despite its reliance on spats between contestants, it has helped reduce the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
7 Signs Your 'Passion' for Exercise Is Actually Compulsive Exercise
If you’re a gym rat, a fervent yogi, or a fitness enthusiast, you may exercise intensely and often. Exercise can be a great way to stay physically and mentally healthy, but how do you know when your passion for exercise crosses the line into compulsive exercise? Here are seven ways to recognize that your “passion” for exercise may be an exercise compulsion. 1. You can’t go a day without exercise — even if you try. Compulsive exercise is often difficult to stop.
Making Your Birthday a 'Self-Care Day' to Manage Mental Illness
I’ve always loved my birthday. When I was growing up, my family always made the day special — letting the “birthday person” pick the day’s meals and activities and preparing any type of cake they wanted. I have so many fond memories of spending my summer birthday at the beach, going bowling and getting frozen yogurt after, or eating dinner at my favorite restaurant and sharing a giant ice cream sundae with my entire family.
Pottery Barn's New Accessible Furniture Line Prioritizes Both Comfort and Style — and It's Revolutionary
Pottery Barn is the first luxury home retailer to roll out an accessible furniture line — and the new collection is groundbreaking for people with disabilities. The Accessible Home, a 160-piece collection, features accessible chairs, tables and desks that can accommodate wheelchair users, non-slip rugs, unbreakable plates, pivoting mirrors, and accessible beds as well as grab bars to install in bathrooms and bedrooms.
Kamala Harris Shouldn't Be Attacked for Using Visual Descriptions for the Blind
Vice President Kamala Harris broke new ground for accessibility when she used a visual description in a White House roundtable meeting with multiple disability advocates. The meeting, which occurred on Tuesday, July 26, was held to commemorate the thirty-second anniversary of the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act. A now-viral clip of the event shows Harris describing her appearance in order to make the roundtable more accessible to those who are blind or have visual impairments.
How the Americans With Disabilities Act Led Me to My Future Career Original
I’ve never known life without the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). I was born with cerebral palsy five years after the ADA was passed, and to say I took the Act for granted is a massive understatement. It wasn’t until I started searching for jobs post-college that I realized just how many rights the ADA affords me — and the extent to which the Act can be violated.
Cyberbullying Isn't Just a 'Teen Problem.' This Celebrity's Experience Proves It Original
“Fresh Off the Boat” star Constance Wu recently took to Twitter to open up about the serious toll cyberbullying took on her life — and her story matters. Wu recalled the pain she felt after tweeting her disappointment about “Fresh Off the Boat” receiving a sixth season in 2019 and shared the backlash she faced from complete strangers and fellow celebrities alike.
5 Ways Non-Disabled People Can Support the Disability Community During Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month — a time for people with disabilities to acknowledge the history of the disability community and the long, ongoing fight for disability rights. It’s also a month focused on sharing personal stories of disability and outwardly celebrating identifying as disabled.
I'm a Health Writer, But It's OK That I Struggle to Take Pride in My Health Conditions
“Some days, I want to scream,” I typed, fearful of how my friend would respond. But I pressed on — albeit hesitantly — until the text box on my phone filled with a litany of complaints.
10 Tips for the Person With Anxiety Who Wants to Use a Dating App
Finding the perfect match on a dating app can feel daunting for anyone, but using dating apps may feel especially overwhelming for people with anxiety. If you live with anxiety and want to try to find a partner on a dating app, here are 10 ways to manage your anxiety while swiping, chatting, and of course, trying to find love. 1. Include as much or as little information on your dating app profile as you’d like.
What Is DARVO and How Can It Help You Recognize Emotional Abuse in Conversations?
The acronym “DARVO” has been floating around the internet recently, and it’s sparking important conversations about recognizing emotional abuse. DARVO is a tactic many emotional abusers use to project their behavior onto their victims and gaslight emotional abuse survivors into believing they’re the ones who need to change their behavior — not their abusers.
7 Beauty and Style Life Hacks for Mornings When Depression Makes It Hard to Get Out of Bed
If you live for flawless makeup and on-point outfits but also live with depression, it might be hard for you to balance your passion for fashion with your will to get up in the morning. Getting out of bed when depression is in full force can be rough, but there are still plenty of ways to show off your style while staying by your bedside. Here are seven style and beauty hacks for those days when your depression makes it hard to get out of bed. 1. Choose your outfit the night before.
I'm a Procrastinator When It Comes to My Eating Disorder — But Not in the Way You Think Original
I’m a procrastinator — but not in the way you think. I stress about projects when I don’t start them early enough. I feel safe and comfortable when I know I have a head-start on my to-do list. There’s just one problem: I use the stress I feel about procrastinating on deadlines to procrastinate on eating. In college, I studied so diligently that I would convince myself to study five minutes longer — and then only 10 minutes longer and then just 15 minutes longer — before I ate dinner.
10 Words and Phrases You May Not Know Are Disability Slurs
Many slurs are a hard “no” to say— we know how they’ve been used to undermine minority groups and understand why we shouldn’t use them. Disability slurs, however, don’t receive the same negative press as words that harm other minority groups, so they’re often regularly interspersed in our conversations. If you’d like to change your phrasing to be more mindful of the disability community’s history and challenges, here are 10 common terms you may not know are disability slurs. 1.
Why Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday Can Be Hard With an Eating Disorder
Today is Mardi Gras — a day when (among other things) some Catholics take every opportunity possible to eat delicious food before observing Ash Wednesday the following day. This seems pretty innocuous and a lot of fun, too — who wouldn’t want to enjoy all of their favorite foods before a far-less-tasty day of religious observance? But as a Catholic woman with an eating disorder, I personally find the “food narrative” I grew up with on Mardi Gras problematic — and I may not be alone.
7 People With Eating Disorders Share What Eating Disorder Treatment Centers Do Well and How They Can Improve
Many people who live with eating disorders end up seeking treatment at for-profit eating disorder treatment centers. Though everyone’s treatment experiences look different, eating disorder treatment centers typically strive to help clients process their feelings surrounding their eating disorders and heal their relationships with food.
Confronting Internalized Ableism in Life With an Invisible Disability
I have a confession to make: I’m living with a disability, and I’m ableist. It may seem counterintuitive that someone who has lived as disabled for a lifetime would carry ableist thoughts and beliefs, but it’s not uncommon.
Coping With the First Holiday Season After Mental Health Treatment
I never dreamt you would be gone — fading away from the life I lead. You were part of me for so long — an extension of myself, a home I hoped to leave behind but never failed to cling to. But it’s my first holiday season without you, and in your absence, I fear myself. I felt myself deflate every year that you crept your way into a yearly array of festive lights and delectable feasts.
Coping With the First Holiday Season After Mental Health Treatment
I never dreamt you would be gone — fading away from the life I lead. You were part of me for so long — an extension of myself, a home I hoped to leave behind but never failed to cling to. But it’s my first holiday season without you, and in your absence, I fear myself. I felt myself deflate every year that you crept your way into a yearly array of festive lights and delectable feasts.
Holiday Decorations Used to Trigger Me, but Here's How I Made Peace With the Holiday Season
I love the holidays, but for a couple of years, the holiday season found me constantly holding my breath. The twinkling holiday lights and fragrant wreaths that left most others nostalgic for holidays seasons past took me back as well — to a far darker time when every day felt like a fight to survive.
10 Gifts Not to Get People With Health Conditions This Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again — that joyous, festive season when we’re all scrambling to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones. If you have a family member or friend with a health condition, figuring out what to gift them for the holidays can be extra challenging, especially if you want to give them something condition-specific or avoid buying a gift they may not be able to use. Here are 10 gifts not to give loved ones with health conditions this year — and which gifts you can look for instead.
We Asked People With Bipolar Disorder How Their Illness Impacts Their Lives
Although bipolar disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions, but it often doesn’t receive the same amount of attention as mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. To shed light on real-life experiences with bipolar disorder, we asked our bipolar community which parts of their lives are most impacted by bipolar disorder. Here’s what they had to say. 1. Their employment. “Employment.
Why This Twitter Thread About Accommodating Neurodiverse People Matters to the Autistic Community
Recently, a tweet by an autistic mother of an autistic child went viral — and sparked a necessary conversation about accommodating neurodiverse people. In her powerful tweet, she shared that her son struggled to tie his shoes, so rather than subject him to behavioral therapy to force him to learn how to lace his shoes, she simply bought him shoes without laces.
When You Don't Have a Physical 'Baseline' as a Person With a Physical Disability
I recently decided to start physical therapy again after years of ignoring physical therapists, avoiding physical activity and refusing to treat my stiffness, pain, and fatigue. At just 26 years old, I’ve already spent several years experiencing the physical deterioration past physical therapists warned me about, and I know it’s time to start taking a more proactive approach to my physical health.
We Asked 12 People With Bipolar Disorder What Treatment Is Like
Bipolar disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions, but it often doesn’t receive the same amount of attention as mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. To shed light on real-life experiences with bipolar disorder, we asked our bipolar disorder community what their experiences with bipolar disorder treatment have been like. Here’s what they shared with us. 1. Treatment for bipolar disorder takes time. “My experience with bipolar treatment is ongoing.” 2.
We Asked People With Bipolar Disorder What They Want Others to Know About Their Lives
Although bipolar disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. To shed light on bipolar disorder, we asked members of our bipolar disorder community what they want others to know about their lives with the mental health condition. Here’s what they had to say. 1. People with bipolar disorder can feel emotions deeply. “I feel everything a lot more than people may think.” 2. Mania isn’t enjoyable.
We Asked People With Bipolar Disorder How Their Medication Affects Them
Although bipolar disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. To shed light on bipolar disorder, we asked members of our bipolar disorder community what makes them hopeful and what makes them nervous about the medications they take. Here’s what they had to say. What makes them nervous: 1. Medication side effects.
Grounding Exercises to Cope With Thanksgiving Mental Health Triggers
If you’re living with mental illness or experiencing grief, celebrating Thanksgiving can be triggering. Whether you have trauma triggers, live with an eating disorder or are coping with the loss of a loved one, there are plenty of ways to make Thanksgiving feel a little less overwhelming. Here are six things to do if you get triggered at the Thanksgiving table. 1. Imagine yourself in a safe place.
You Aren't a 'Bad Person' if You Want to Skip Thanksgiving This Year
Thanksgiving can be extremely difficult, especially if you have a strained relationship with your family or struggle with an eating disorder. You may feel pressure to attend Thanksgiving, especially when others don’t understand your health conditions, but no matter what people say, you’re not a bad person for wanting to skip Thanksgiving this year. You may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people you’ll speak to and wish you could be anywhere else.
Why the New Para Skiing Barbie Is Groundbreaking for Disability Representation
In anticipation of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Mattel released a new collection of Barbie dolls featuring — among other Barbie winter sports stars — a para skiing doll. The doll, who sits on adaptive skis and comes with a championship medal toy, is the sole representation of disability in the latest Barbie collection.
It's OK If You Have a Conflicted Relationship With Your Surgery Anniversary
If you have a health condition that requires surgery and are connected to others in the same community, you might see people sharing their surgery stories on their “surgery anniversaries” or posting about them on social media. Many people use their “surgery anniversaries” to express gratitude for the ways their surgeries have improved their lives and celebrate how far they’ve come since their recovery.
An Apology for When My Social Anxiety Hurts My Friends
You may not hear from me often and might even wonder if we’re still friends. You may feel like I’m avoiding you or don’t value you. You may even feel hurt, and that breaks my heart for you. The truth is you’re still my friend, and I still love you, even if we rarely talk or see each other. But in all honesty, I’m struggling with social anxiety, and my anxiety may make me seem avoidant or uncaring. My social anxiety is cyclical, which makes staying in touch with friends extremely difficult.
AskMe: We Asked an Expert All of Your Questions About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex condition, which can make the ways it manifests feel unexpected or confusing. Although many people believe that rheumatoid arthritis only affects the joints, it can also affect other organs, and the ways that symptoms present can vary widely. We spoke with Dr. Daniel Solomon, MD, MPH, and he answered questions from our Mighty community members about rheumatoid arthritis. Here are answers to some of your most pressing RA questions.
AskMe: We Asked an Expert All of Your Questions About Migraine
Migraine can feel excruciating and may be extremely difficult to understand — even if you live with it. Fortunately, we spoke with Dr. Thomas Berk, MD, who sits on the American Migraine Association‘s Editorial Board, and he answered questions from our Mighty community members about living with migraine. Here are the answers to all of your burning migraine questions. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. Q: Which factors influence migraine location?
AskMe: We Asked an Expert All of Your Questions About ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) doesn’t just involve being easily distracted and having excess energy — it’s a complex neurological condition that can affect everyday functioning and may even symptomatically interact with comorbid conditions. We spoke with Dr. Ellen B Braaten, Ph.D., an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and Understood Expert on ADHD, and she answered questions from our Mighty community members who live with ADHD or have a loved one with ADHD.
5 Ways Workplaces Can Be More Disability-Friendly
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, but the intersection between disability and employment is important to be mindful of all year. As of 2020, people with disabilities in the United States have a 12.6 percent unemployment rate — nearly five percent higher than the unemployment rate for their able-bodied counterparts. This disparity exists largely due to workplace ableism and reluctance to hire and accommodate people with disabilities.
Life or Death: Colleges Need to Improve Their Mental Health Services Now
College can be stressful and overwhelming, especially for students who are balancing classes, jobs, extracurriculars, and their social lives. With college a more competitive environment than ever, it’s only natural that adequate mental health services be a priority on college campuses. Unfortunately, though, mental health resources are often scant and can’t always provide college students with the help they need.
How to Connect With a Health Community When You’re Newly Diagnosed
Receiving a new diagnosis can be scary, but it often also means becoming part of a new health community full of people who may understand your emotions and experiences. When you first receive your diagnosis, though, you may feel out of place amongst others who’ve had the same diagnosis for longer and wonder how you can connect with your new community.
Opinion | President Biden, as a Leader of Faith, Do Better on Immigration
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