body
Feminism demands a future free of fat shaming, body obsession and the male gaze.
- Top Story - April 2021
He Destroyed My Home.
I am writing the following story because I want to let go of something that has made a deep impact in my life. Organizing my endlessly scattered thoughts works best for me when I write them out, so here it goes. It is no secret that I often speak my mind, but I suck at communicating about the really, really, deep things that torment me. I have gotten better but every day is still a struggle. Just to sort of set the stage, I will start off by saying that I am diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type 1 and Adult Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. My story of my experience plays a particularly important role in my mental health. It diminished my ability to communicate, to heal, to be strong and courageous for myself. It turned my entire world turned dark. I have been described as unpredictable, out of control, impossible to manage and crazy. I have been told that I am a monster, and my life is worthless. I have been told that I destroy everything I touch. I conditioned myself to shrink for others, to not upset or defy them. I stayed quiet and bottled everything inside. I smiled and said, “it’s okay”, when really, I just wanted to scream and beg for someone to make the pain stop. I accepted toxicity into my life because I believed that it is what I deserved. Every single person I have ever met knows a completely different version of me. The versions of myself constantly change, as is life. And as a result, I am a variation of factors. Yet, there are only 3 people who know me entirely. Every single secret. Every single insecurity, down to the last detail. Every single emotion, mood swing and trigger. Every single thought and opinion. Every single amount of excruciating emotional and mental pain. Every single trauma. Everything that has damaged me. These 3 people's influence on my decision to finally share my story with the world will be mentioned in my following story. I had held a secret inside of me for 7 years, one that I thought I would never be able to face. I denied it all these years, repressing it so far that I eventually did not think about it at all. All it took for me to finally accept the truth was seeing a stranger’s face in a bar, increasing self-awareness and the compassion, and understanding of very 3 important people. I have finally realized how important I am, not in a cocky way, but in the way that I matter. My story matters, my healing matters, my life truly does matter. I am not staying quiet about who I am and why I am the way I am anymore. And because of this moment of clarity, I am ready to speak about something that happened to me when I was 18. Something that I tried so hard to forget, but ultimately could not escape. This is my story about the night someone stole what was mine.
Sarah CarverPublished 3 years ago in Viva HYDROSALPHINX
HYDROSALPHINX A hydrosalpinx is a blocked, dilated, fluid-filled fallopian tube Hydrosalpinx may occur as an isolated adnexal lesion or as one component of a complex adnexal lesion that has caused distal tubal occlusion . The most common cause of distal tubal occlusion and hydrosalpinx is pelvic inflammatory disease. Other causes include endometriosis, peritubal adhesions from a previous operation, tubal cancer, and tubal pregnancy.
Shafeena IGXPublished 3 years ago in VivaTop Quality Diastasis Recti Band can be Availed in the Best Price Now!
When a lady uses to get pregnant, she also experiences a lot of changed with her body. Hormonal changes occur during this stage. Along with that so many bodily changes also occur during this time and diastasis recti is one of them. as far as the diastasis recti is concerned, this is all about complete or partial separation of your rectus abdominis or which is called as the six pack muscles that use to meet at the midline of the stomach. This type of bodily changes can occur during the pregnancy and also can remain after pregnancy. This occurs as the uterus start to expand and so does the muscles around the abdominal region. This type of change occurs in your body to accommodate the growing baby in the mother’s womb securely and properly. But due to these changes, diastasis recti like problem can also arise. In order to deal with it, you must use the diastasis recti corset.
How Becoming a Mom changed my Relationship with my Body
It took me a long time to get in sync with my body, and longer still after I had our baby. Growing up, I had a bad hormone imbalance. It made it impossible to lose weight, I struggled with terrible periods, mood swings, and acne, and just never felt comfortable in my own skin.
Leah HarrisPublished 3 years ago in VivaFree the Pill
I received a helpful text on my phone one day. “Text REPLY to refill your prescription of [norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol tablets].” Not sparing a second thought to the ease and convenience of my modern life, I texted back and expected to be able to pick up my prescription of birth control later in the day.
Rachael DunnPublished 3 years ago in VivaSelfies, Fat, Sweat and Tears
[Please excuse the number of selfies in this — I’m trying to demonstrate a point] When I turned 30 something crazy happened — my twenties had been wrought with insecurities surrounding how I looked, my teens even more so but suddenly I didn’t really care anymore. In fact, when I looked back on my twenties and earlier, from my thirties I wondered why I was bothered at all — I wasn’t half as bad as I was led to believe, or more importantly, had come to believe. In fairness, I didn’t regularly start wearing make-up till I was 25 and had no actual skin routine till I was even older than that. When I look back though, I can see how outside influences had an impact on me when I was gullible and naïve and how I gave other peoples’ opinions much more value than they were worth. And now I dress whatever way I want, covered in tattoos and giving way less of I shit about it… or so I thought…
Caroline EganPublished 3 years ago in VivaTop 5 Dumbest Questions I’ve Been Asked as a Tall Woman — Body-Shaming Includes Height
Warning I’m not pulling any punches in this story, so somebody could get offended by some of the things that I have to say, and if that’s the case, then: Sorry, not sorry!
A Nurse Called Me "Heavy" During My Pap Smear Exam
Yes, ladies, you read the title of this article correctly. (I say ladies because I doubt any guys will read this because "Ew!" right?) Two days ago I went in for a routine pap smear test. And while spread eagle with the speculum inside me, the nurse on the side of me handing the doctor the swabs, made a comment about me being "heavy".
Lizzy HeartwoodPublished 3 years ago in VivaI am naked
There is a mirror in front of me. I have been standing here for hours, naked and alone. The house is empty, everybody is at work and I am home. I am fat. I am unemployed. Even though it’s daytime it's still incredibly dark with the curtains closed and so every light in every room is on and I am standing in the hallway in the cold. Even though the windows are shut, I feel like I'm freezing, there is a vicious frost at my toes. February sends chills up my fingertips and into my shoulders, there are goose bumps cascading across the very large mass that is my upper arm on either side of my body. A fit of shivers pass through me and when it is over I have a heightened consciousness of the thing I am contemplating in the mirror.
Sharla BeanPublished 3 years ago in VivaTo Shave or Not to Shave: Armpit Hair and How We’re Brainwashed
Let’s talk about armpits. Specifically, let’s talk about why women shave their armpit hair into (temporary) oblivion. And by “talking”, I actually mean “let’s think about this”.
Maria Shimizu ChristensenPublished 3 years ago in VivaProbiotics: Turns out, vaginas are complicated. And brilliant.
"The vagina is a self-cleaning oven. Just leave it alone." Sounds familiar, right? I can still hear the words of my sweet-spoken professor, dropping this pearl on our women's health class, providing a valuable, yet simple, principle with which to guide our patient care. As NP students, we were taught to respect the body's ability to keep the vaginal peace. If a problem arose, we were trained to identify the condition, treat as necessary, and then advise the patient to resume leaving her vagina the heck alone. Don't flush it, scrub it, powder or perfume it. And the whole "yogurt-a-day-keeps-the-gyno-away" thing? Science wasn't supporting this, either. Gynecology professionals and governing health organizations had traditionally stood by the idea that there was no consistent evidence supporting oral probiotic efficacy for maintaining vaginal health and balance.
Stephanie WilliamsPublished 3 years ago in VivaMy Height is Not My Identity
In men, height is usually an attractive quality to the opposite sex. If a man is tall, he must be an athelete. Football is everyone's best guess. And if he's not an athelete? Well, he still towers over most people. And thats a bonus, right? But why? Why do women like being the smaller of the two? Eve had one more rib than Adam, and yet, it is what we look for in men. More. More height. More muscle. More masculinity.