Laura J. shares about contracting herpes by being date-raped and how she has navigated managing it logistically, sexually and emotionally with partners, including her husband. She was raised in an emotionally cold home by a psychiatrist father and image-obsessed mother. Her mother's response when Laura would say "I love you" has only ever been "thank you". Laura shares about having Bipolar 2, codependency, fear of intimacy, occasional paranoia, an eating disorder (compulsive eating), multiple stays in psych hospitals, an abortion and always being in the shadow of her high-maintenance and unstable sister.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get your first week free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18 or over.

This episode is sponsored by Young Health's probiotic Probimune. To get your first bottle free (plus $6.75 shipping) go to www.probimune.com and use offer code MENTAL

This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter. To post jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/first



See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.