Valerie Grison Blog

September was a special month for Give Us The Floor. It’s our first anniversary. And we launched the first “semester themes“, the first product of our very special process for letting teenagers decide for themselves what they need: the teens voted to focus on two broad themes. The results are Health (Mental & Physical) and […]

My decision to recover did not come lightly, nor did I completely commit myself to it when I chose to do so. To even begin to start thinking about recovery you first need to acknowledge and accept the fact you have a problem, which I did not. Despite being dangerously underweight I still saw myself […]

  It was my mother who feared my death the most. She would cry in hysterics of a night after having woken up from the same nightmare she had been having for weeks: my dad carrying my body, which can only be described as lifeless, pale and brittle, down the stairs in our home, with […]

Part I “You are not a mistake. You are not a problem to be solved. But you won’t discover this until you are willing to stop banging your head against the wall of shaming and caging and fearing yourself.” – Geneen Roth I’m 17 years old and I’m a recovering anorexic, and have been for […]

I’ve had the privilege to interact with a lot of teenagers, mostly to listen. What struck me most was that too many of them lack self-confidence and feel awkward, even though every single one has a special, unique talent. I started Give Us The Floor to help create a society in which every teenager understands […]

E-cigarette usage has become a trend. Do not mistake or confuse them with smokeless cigarettes. E-cigarettes are battery powered cigarettes designed to release a nicotine vapor that looks like smoke. Though originally touted as a better option to smoking without the same carcinogens from smoking tobacco, there are now concerns regarding the chemicals ingredients and […]

  The Thigh Gap: What is it? A thigh gap is a clear space or gap between the thighs. The thighs are no longer touching each other when the feet and knees are together. Origin of the phenomenon: the 2012 Victoria’s Secret fashion show. For many teens, the thigh gap symbolizes the ideal body. Some […]

The unspoken communication of colors is key. Companies are aware of it. This “science” is applied to position a product and advertise it. It is also used inside the walls of some companies to motivate and increase the productivity and the happiness of the employees. The colors used with companies logos as well as products […]

While it’s true that most of our neurons have already formed by the time we’re born, that doesn’t mean our brains are finished developing. Brains don’t fully finish with development until about age 25. Only then is one’s brain considered mature. One aspect of that is that teens differ from pre-teens or adults on the […]

  Sometime, you don’t know why, but you can’t accept the truth. Even when you know it is. I’m sure that has happened to you, denial is a normal stage of grief. It’s also a normal stance to take when someone disagrees with something you believe to be true. Many people, though in the face […]