Until only recently, I kept a big aspect of my anxiety hidden from the world because I was deathly afraid of the consequences I would suffer if I talked about it. I was already fearful of the judgment I may experience from opening up about my anxiety, but this was huge. What if people thought I was actually crazy? The anxiety of this backlash made me feel physically ill, and I felt like there was no one I could turn to who would understand. I'm talking about intrusive thoughts, which the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland say "become obsessive, provoke fear and shame, and often lead to doubts about sanity, control, motives, character and safety." It's common in those struggling with general anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder. A majority of my life has been spent dealing with anxiety, so as far as I can remember, this symptom has always affected me. I never understood why frightening images and scenari..

I spoke to Whole Foods food editor Molly Siegler, who's based at the company's headquarters in Austin, TX, and learned a variety of interesting facts that made me an even bigger fan of the store. What's the return policy? Who makes all the food in the hot bar? Can you really try something before you buy it? If you've always wanted to know this — plus more — about one of the highest-quality grocery stores, read on for all the insider secrets. 1. You can taste anything before you buy it. Seriously — anything! "The company has a Try Before You Buy policy," Molly said, and you can use it for packaged foods (like snacks), fresh produce, and even cheese. "If there's a new apple that comes out, you can ask someone in the produce section to cut you a slice." 40729360 2. You can return anything. The return policy "is very Nordstrom-like — bring it back; we want you to be happy." Depending on your location's policy, you'll either get your money back or get..

GIF-lovers everywhere, get excited: as of Feb. 20, every single photo and video you create in Snapchat will come with the option to be adorned with a GIF Sticker, plucked straight from GIPHY's massive repository of the best internet images available today. To get started, open Snapchat and take a photo or video, then tap the Sticker icon in the right-hand corner of the screen. Within the Sticker Picker, head over to the search section, and look for those labeled GIPHY — and, as always, feel free to add as many (or as few) as your heart desires. You can also resize the image, or if you're really not keen about what you've created, tap and hold down on the sticker and drag it over to the trash to kick it to the curb. And here's a hot tip, courtesy of a Snap Inc. spokesperson: if you press and hold on the GIPHY Sticker you've chosen before you take your photo or video, you can pin it to a certain location within the frame — and it'll move, turn, and change..

Image Source: Everett Collection In the first season of Amazon's incredible, visceral series Transparent, we meet Maura, a transgender woman who decides to come out later in her life. Maura has three kids and an ex-wife, all of whom struggle to see this new side of a person they've known for decades. During this time of struggle (and in flashbacks), we also learn what is known as Maura's "dead name" — aka the name she had prior to her transition. In many small ways, her family shows resistance in accepting Maura's true presentation of self. It may be by using her old name or by recounting pretransition memories. Even the term "Moppa" — an amalgamation of "Momma" and "Poppa" that her kids adopt in the wake of her coming out — refuses to acknowledge that Maura wishes to be seen completely as a woman. The series shows just how crucial selecting her new name really was to Maura's transition process. Now, in 2017, we're seeing some truly horrifying oppressi..

How much is gold worth? If it comes in the form of an Olympic medal at the Winter or Summer Games, you might be surprised to learn that the answer is not that much. Knowing that, you'd be less shocked to hear that the same goes for silver and bronze winners at the world's most elite athletic competitions. With just a few days left in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, we decided to take a look at what kind of paychecks Team USA members will be bringing home and how that compares to how well other countries pay their Olympic athletes. Team USA US Olympic athletes get a check from the US Olympic Committee (USOC) if they take home a medal in either the Winter or Summer Games. The payment program is called "Operation Gold," and this year, its checks got a little heftier. The USOC will fork over $37,000 for each gold medal, $22,500 for each silver, and $15,000 for each bronze medal win. (Paralympic winners will also now earn $7,500 for gold, $5,250 for s..