Elizabeth King

Whenever I rave about menstrual cups (which is kind of frequently), there are always some people who say that they think cups are gross, or that they’re uncomfortable putting their hands in their vagina to insert the cup and take it out.

A few years ago, my boyfriend of two years and I went to couple's therapy. To say our relationship was falling apart would have been an understatement.

"There's a young man in your life, he has dark hair and he's very important to you." The tarot card reader glanced up at me with her chin still pointed down toward the cards. "Yes," I said. "Yes there is." My heart began beating faster in my chest.

Compliments given to girls often center on their looks and little if anything else. Hearing about looks more than other aspects can leave the nuances of women’s individuality unacknowledged and underappreciated.

I am a long-time serial monogamist. At 27, I’ve had three serious relationships, but have never just dated. I’ve always just had significant others as an adult, and now, being single for a sustained period of time for the first time since high school, I’m finally entering the dating world. And I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.

When I hit college and had my first university beau, I was very interested in marriage. I'd even say I was desperate to get engaged and marry my boyfriend at the time. Not so much because I was invested in the idea of marriage per se; my boyfriend at that time was actually a complete jerk, but I thought our potential wedding would mark the day he turned around.

When I was a kid, my idol was Peter Pan. During these years, I can’t say that I wanted to be a boy, but I was infatuated with the idea of being Peter Pan. My mother will quickly tell you that the only time I relished wearing girly clothes was when I got to wear a white and blue gingham dress like my other hero, Dorothy.

Self-care is an important practice for everyone to incorporate into their lives. But at certain times, we may need a little extra TLC. Anyone who has experienced trauma in a relationship will attest to the fact that emotionally and psychologically recovering from any form of abuse is a tough road and it is vital to treat yourself with extra kindness.