Home > Author > Sara Barnard
1 " Someone like you is brilliant and amazing.' I said. 'Why can't you see that in yourself?' The unfairness of it was starting to sink in. If she could only see herself like I did, there wouldn't be a problem. But she didn't, and she never would, and that was so many levels of wrong and unfair I almost couldn't comprehend it. "
― Sara Barnard
2 " People in pain can be very self-destructive. And sometimes they pull in the people who are close to them, often without realizing. "
3 " I was sixteen, and I honestly believed that I was due a love story. "
4 " She was crazy, and she was unpredictable, but she was also generous and open-hearted and like no friend I'd ever had before. "
5 " With lightning, you're never really sure if that's what it was; it's just a flash. Thunder, you know. You feel it.' 'You can keep your quiet thunder. I'll keep the exciting lightning. "
6 " Mum has had an anxious daughter for sixteen years and she still doesn't seem to get the concept of little victories. The spending an evening where I wasn't feeling sick every time someone asked me a question is actually a really big deal [...] There's no such thing as getting your hopes up if you're anxious. Little victories are everything in a world where worst-case scenarios are on an endless loop in your head. "
7 " Chronic anxiety is a form of illness. It's not something you bring on yourself by how you feel on any given day. It isn't about happiness and sadness. Anxiety doesn't care if you're happy or not, just like cancer doesn't care if you're happy. "
8 " Sometimes things, like car accidents and the weather, just happen. And maybe that's the scariest thing of all. "
9 " It's total bullshit. I hate it when people make sadness all deep and beautiful and, like- profound. That's the word it's not profound. It's not beautiful. It sucks. It sucks balls. I think it makes non-sad people feel better. Like, they think if must be a good thing to be sad, because you're getting all this insight into real life and pain or whatever. Like how people say tears are like rain. Fuck off. Tears are just tears and they make your eyes hurt and they won stop when you want them to and ugh you get all those arty photos of girls crying - it's always girls, have you noticed?- and it's so beautiful and tasteful and moving. When the reality is your face goes all blotchy and your nose runs and you can taste it every time you breathe''Taste what?''It. Pain. Sadness. I'm just saying that sadness isn't beautiful and if it looks that way, it's a lie. "
10 " How to look after your very drunk friendStep 1: Find her in the bathroom, slumped against the towel rackStep 2: Ask her if she needs to be sick. Try not to get offended when she yells that she's NOT DRUNKStep 3: Tell her it's fine when she apologises, bursts into tears and then falls asleep on your shoulder.[...]Step 6: Root around in her front pocket for her keys. Make a joke about inappropriate touching. Laugh when she earnestly tells you that you could touch her anywhere, because nothing's inappropriate when you're best friends.Step 7: Write it down so you can mock her with it tomorrow, and for the rest of time.Step 8: Tell her mother that yes, you both had a great time. Pour two glasses of water, carry them both up the stairs (Make her go first, so you can catch her if she trips) "
11 " Little victories are everything in a world where worst-case scenarios are on an endless loop in your head "
12 " This is what happens when you come out of your shell. You get rocks thrown at you by the universe. "
13 " Some people thrive on conflict. They enjoy the drama. I felt like I was being held underwater. "
