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11 Essays Everyone With A Body Should Read

Stories about synaesthesia, scoliosis, health anxiety, and more.

Chelsey Pippin
by Chelsey Pippin

BuzzFeed Staff

1. "9 Things I Wish I'd Known About Health Anxiety" by Fiona Ward

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There’s always the constant concern that one day I’ll be worrying about something that’s actually happening.

2. "I Have A Kind Of Synaesthesia That Lets Me Taste Colour And Light" by Lydia Ruffles

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Reason might dictate that the word “Sweden” would taste of swede, but rather than root vegetable it is a zingy, tangy mouthful.

3. "Puberty Gave Me Curves I Never Expected" by Rosalind Jana

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Severe scoliosis forced me to literally change shape in the most formative years of my life.

4. "This Is What It's Like To Go Through Menopause At 25" by Lucy Pasha-Robinson

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After a lifetime of doctor's visits for endometriosis, my doctor and I agreed that inducing the menopause was the best option for my health.

5. "This Is Why I Quit Exercise Therapy" by Camilla Maxted

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When it comes to my illness, I've learned to listen to my symptoms, trust my body, and give it the one thing it really needs: rest.

6. 7 Things I Learned When My Mum Had Cancer by Ailbhe Malone

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Think of it as a slow-motion rollercoaster.

7. "Here's What It's Like To Have Time-Space Synaesthesia" by Emma Yeomans

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

Synaesthesia isn't just associating colours with words and numbers. In my case, it means I see the world around me in terms of dates and time – my mental calendar lives in my field of vision.

8. "This Is What It's Like To Have Sleep Paralysis" by Sarah Maria Griffin

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There are two kinds of sleep paralysis, and over the past seven years I've experienced both of them on the regular.

9. "This is What It's Like to Have Bells Palsy" by Claire Moses

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About 40,000 people in the US get Bell's palsy every year. A few years ago, I was one of them.

10. "I Hate Mixing Foods And That's Actually Fine" by Ailbhe Malone

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I spent most of my life afraid people would judge me for my eating habits, so I decided to visit a doctor and find out what it was all about.

11. "How Facing Fertility Problems in My Twenties Shaped My Relationships" by Brydie Lee-Kennedy

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I may have kidulted my way through life, but I had to grow up fast when it came to family planning.