Stress

Hey girls, it is getting to that point in the school year where exams start popping up, where work is being assigned left and right, where teachers are grading harder, and you are getting stressed.

There are a lot of ways to handle being stressed...

Take a break, eat a snack, a short nap, listening to music, doing something fun.

And instead of beating yourself up over your lack of calm, try your best to incorporate these tendencies into your scheduled life.
Study, snack. Read, nap. Homework, fun.
Life is a conglomerate of hundreds of activities and finding the proper balance between them is what makes life easier. Do not let your life flash by in a wave of schoolwork and tension; enjoy it.

Sign here,

STIs

By this point in my life, I have had at least two friends succumb to the embarrassment and stress of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

I am not a health teacher here to warn you against the dangers of STI's; I am here to support and guide you if you ever find yourself caught in this predicament.

First, know that, for a majority of infections, there is a cure. My friend with the awful experience of contracting Chlamydia was able to cure herself within one week.

Second, know that it is possible to contract an STI while wearing protection. (Just ask my friend!) This means that it is very important to communicate with your partner about your health. Just think- what if it was not Chlamydia, but HIV? As I am sure you are aware, there is no available and reliable cure.

Third, know that your true friends will help you through it, whether that means driving you somewhere you need to go or researching help. If you have good friends, you automatically have support. Use them to help you!

Fourth, always know you can use this forum as a resource! We can help you.

Now go out and have fun, but be smart!

Sign here,

Mind fuck

Hey guys, on a more philosophical side, I want to introduce you to an idea that I think about very often myself: Personal, physical reality is not the true reality.

What is she saying?

Think of this way:

• Every person experiences their own physical reality. 

examples: 1. He kissed me. 2. That tree fell down by itself. 

• Everyone's physical reality is actually what is happening inside of their mind.

examples: 1. I am too shy to start the kiss; he must have. 2. I did not see anything bombard the tree; it must be a natural failure.

• Everyone's physical reality is different from one another.

examples: 1. She kissed me. 2. The tree was knocked over by something.

• At any time, there are at least 2, but potentially thousands of different realities.

examples: 1. The kissed each other / They bumped into one another / How cute/ Ew, PDA. 2. The tree was supposed to fall down / The tree was cut down / The tree was sick / The tree was attacked.

• SO the true reality is mental, not physical.

No matter what happens in "real life," what we process ourselves is what is happening in our life.

Why?

Perceptions

Opinions

Prior knowledge

Prejudice

and tons more...

So everyone enjoy your mental reality and enjoy this mind fuck.

Sign here,

Gossip

"Jealousy is the sincerest form of flattery."

And don't you forget it!

Girls tend to trash talk each other like nobody's business. Spreading rumors, starting lies, gossiping about one another. Almost always, this endless chatter is negative, and it truly hurts people. I myself have been the recipient of several malicious comments. 

I am here to tell you not to let other people's words affect you.

You have probably heard the famous saying, "What Susie says of Sally, says more of Susie than of Sally." This is 100% true.

If you have ever been victimized by this vulgar form of bullying, I am sorry.

And if you have ever found yourself being the one to trash talk others, it is time to grow up.

In an age riddled with bullying, you do not want to find yourself on the wrong side of this argument. Besides, does making fun of other's make you any better? No. In fact, it actually makes you a less decent person.

Furthermore, this divisive action is not only taken by women; boys can be master manipulators by the word of mouth. In some situations, what boys say can be even worse!  

Girls: watch out. People will try to drag you down, but you do not belong there. Rise above.

Sign here,

College

Us here at Anonymous have both been in college for a couple of years now. We know the ropes and are here to help you transition smoothly through this amazing time.


Both of us agree that college automatically and wondrously surpasses high school, middle school, or any other school experience we have had. Forget the drama, forget waking up at the crack of dawn every day, forget the daily tedium. College sets you free!

You are allowed to choose your own classes, select a major, live on your own, and party as much as you want. Even if you are not into partying, there are clubs, sports, extracurricular activities. You are sure to find people interested in the same things as you!

Sure, not every aspect of the college life is amazing...

• Be prepared for dorm rooms half the size of your room at home.
• Be prepared for living with someone with whom you do not get along.
• Prepare yourself for studying all night long and eating chicken tenders every night.
• Prepare yourself for people talking about sex. A lot. 
• And if you are one of those party people, prepare yourself for surprise hospitals visits to support a friend that drank way too much.

If you have questions or comments about majors, about what an RA is, about frat parties, or anything else you can think of...

Sign here,

Divorce

I am a child of divorce and I have to tell you that it is one of the most challenging circumstances from which to recover, in a a variety of painful ways.

No one really covers the effects of a broken home in a thoughtful way. Well, for all of you that have suffered through the misfortune of having a split family, I am here for you.

When I was ten, it happened once and I had no idea what was happening within my own family. No one around me said the word, yet everyone was splitting up and going different ways. I was not even living in the same house in which I had grown up.
When I was fifteen, it happened for real. The word was said and there was absolutely no turning back.

Everyone will have a different experience with divorce. I had a friend who thought that if this makes her parents happy then it must be a good thing. If only I could have that mentality.

I felt rejected and alone, heart broken and sad, unwanted and meaningless, embarrassed and frightened. Sometimes, thinking about all of the pain caused and suffered, I still feel that way.

Girls, hang in there.


Try to take relief in the fact that hopefully you do not have to listen to your parents fight anymore. You do not have to change lives. Maybe some members of your family are more happy.

Though I feel like a hypocrite writing these words, I want you to know that, despite what your heart might tell you, you will not die of pain and sadness. It is an extremely trying time, but you can get through it.


Sign here,

"Weird"

I would like to argue that there is no such thing as "weird." You are you.

If you have ever been called weird or strange, an outcast or a loser- what were the reasons behind this? Was it because you dressed differently? Acted differently? Enjoyed different activities?

What so many people fail to realize is that everyone is DIFFERENT.

And, instead of ostracizing people based on these characteristics, enjoy it! You may only meet one person who enjoys putting peanut butter on celery; they are not weird. What if you never see a boy with long hair again? Never hear a girl with a low, raspy voice talk?
Everyone is unique and what makes one unique does not make one weird.

I encourage you to look for the differences in people and celebrate them. For, if that one person receives too much negative hate for their personal characteristic, what is so interesting to the world might become a nuisance to that individual. And the effect of this would be disastrous: conformity.
Embrace different hair styles and music taste, just as one should respect varying skin colors and sexualities.

Sign here,

Expectations

I have an uplifting secret about body image and self esteem.

Conforming to society's expectations of beauty is not, never has been, and never will be, "cool."

Let's take a look at this statement, shall we?

Being "cool" is not fitting in. Being "cool" is not obeying every rule. 

Being cool is standing out.

Since when do punk rockers obey society's laws?

Since when do gangsters care about meeting society's high expectations?

Since when do divas and hustlers dress according to vogue? Or put on weight to meet other's standards?

I am not saying that being punk rock or being a diva is cool; What I am saying is that they do not care about what society says about fashion and appearance and they work it.

You can picture the style and swag of these groups of people effortlessly, and none of them gives a fuck about what society will think.

So next time you look in the mirror and feel inadequate, think: What would Keith Richards do? What would Eminem do? Ozzy Osbourne? Snoop? 

Say fuck it. 

Dress how you want to dress. 

Look how you want to look.

Sign here,

Back to School

I want to start by wishing everyone a happy semester ahead! Going back to school can be stressful, but let us take the time to realize just how fleeting and fun this time truly is.

Sure, homework sucks. Tests suck. Studying sucks.
But what is better than seeing your friends everyday?
What is better than delving into a topic of your interest?
What is better than succeeding at something you love?

You do not always excel at school (most of the time I am just barely getting by myself!) But it is the adventure that is the true success in your life. Regardless of the grade you receive at the end of the class, simply learning and thriving means you have succeeded.
Do not let every C or D control your life. 
Do not let every all-nighter and difficult test kill your spirit.
The academia of school is not all that matters; the experience is just as important. Remember as you are taking your SATs, writing an essay, or signing up for your college classes, that this is your life! It is happening at this very moment, good or bad. If you need to, put down your pencil. Take a look around. This is your life. Enjoy it!

Sign here,

Living Sucide.

       I hate to constantly bring up my past and speak about the dark moments that have occurred in my life but I feel as if those are the moments that really define my future and who I am today. For the past couple of years, I have been battling with eating disorders, school, my social relationships, and most importantly, myself.
       I have tried everything to get better from counseling, hobbies, therapy to advice columns and more but  nothing has sufficed. Basically, I am at the point in my life where I have given up internally,  yet I am still here on this earth. I call it a living suicide. That moment in your life where you exist but you are not living. Physically, you may be there in form but mentally,you're dead.
         I am not sure if I will ever really get better because no matter how many times I have cried or I have pleaded for help and for change, I have always found myself in the same position I was in the day before. I have heard of people who have suffered with this  for years and I can't imagine being in the same position I am in now for years to come. My heart has become so heavy and I have become so emotional and this type of pain has taken away such joyful moments in my life and life, in general, for me.
          I am sorry if this post was a little more depressing than usual and I am not really sure where I was going with this. I just wanted to be able to just write out my feelings because I believe that  it is good to reflect on your past sometimes especially when your past is still affecting your present and future. So through it all, I hope to only become stronger and one day, I hope to conquer this battle occurring in my life and I hope to finally be able to go back to truly living.

To all those who are fighting and may feel alone, I only hope that you, too, continue to fight because although the battle may be long and exhausting, there is an end an it will eventually be okay because if it is not okay, it is not over. I am here with you.

Sign here,