Untamed Journey Insights

One of the things I truly appreciate about our modern times is how much more emotionally aware younger generations are becoming. I love seeing the sensitivity, language, and openness they bring to conversations around mental health—and honestly, I’ve even learned new terms from them, like the trending phrase “functional freeze.” But there’s a double edge to this awareness. With so much psychology content circulating on social media, important concepts sometimes get misused or watered down. A single trending video can take a clinical term and strip it of its true meaning. Words like gaslighting, narcissist, or love bombing can easily become catch-all insults, or worse—minimize very real experiences of harm. That’s why I’ve decided to launch a series unpacking some of these buzzwords. My goal is to clear the air, give context, and help us use this language in ways that validate rather than harm. And where better to begin than with a fan favorite? Let’s talk about what gaslighting really ...

  If you’re in high school or college, it can feel like everybody drinks. Maybe it’s at parties, hanging out after a game, or even just chilling in someone's backyard. At first, it might seem like a normal part of growing up and experimenting. But here’s the thing: alcohol impacts a developing brain differently than it does an adult’s.  While alcohol is not great for adult bodies and minds either, the impact is more problematic for a body and mind that is still going through a very important stage of development.   It’s not just about bad hangovers or making cringey decisions you regret the next day. Drinking now can affect your mood, memory, and mental health for years. It's also responsible for around 4300 deaths of young people under age 21 .  How Alcohol Impacts a Teen Brain Your brain’s still under construction – The part that controls decisions, impulse control, and planning (your prefrontal cortex) isn’t done developing until about age 25. Alcohol ...