Category Archives: Mental Health

Alienated from shadows, butterflies, and waving ferns

  This feels strange. I’m still not used to living with so many windows. My nervous system is not yet familiar enough with the world outside them to be fully comfortable. For instance, I frequently turn expecting a threat at … Continue reading

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The half-brother I’ll never meet

Today is my half-brother’s birthday. When I was a teenager my mother told me to commit to memory her first child’s birth date, hospital name, city, and state. I recited them to myself again and again and throughout my life, … Continue reading

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No shame in survival responses!

No shame in survival responses! Every living organism is naturally and normally oriented toward safety, integration/wholeness, and well-being. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) lens, the “something preventing that from happening” is never the organism, but impediments created by the environment. … Continue reading

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The courage it takes to speak up against sexualized violence

I often hear that I am courageous for speaking my truth about sexualized violence in my life and its prevalence in America. Yeah, I know. But what is this courage really about? I’m not courageous because I speak my truth. … Continue reading

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The importance of decisive action

Sometimes I’m frustrated that my body needs every freaking thing in little bits! Evidently I’ve overused my hands and wrists messing with clay. And I’m driven to make one more niche. But my body says stop. So I need to … Continue reading

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Psychology’s pathologizing terms, evidence of a shame-based paradigm

Psychology’s pathologizing terms hint at the underlying toxic paradigm, which says the therapist is the Great Healer and the client/patient is the Broken Thing That Needs Fixing. Some of the worst pathologizing and shaming terms: “Disorder” presumes there’s something wrong … Continue reading

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How to save your own life

How to save your own life when the medical system is designed to kill you*: First, you get really pissed off. You must be determined to keep looking for new avenues and pick whatever seems the most sensible from where … Continue reading

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I asked for help and they gave me hell

Five years ago today I walked into a satellite office of the mega-hospital here in Upper Delaware and asked for help with severe Developmental Trauma from extreme Adverse Childhood Experiences. The embedded psychologist must have thought I said I wanted … Continue reading

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The importance of safe environments

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe environment that encourages connection. That’s our human birthright, what we’re designed for, and what we need in order to reach our potential. Too many kids experience a lack of safety and … Continue reading

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In an actual HEALTH CARE system…..

My symptom log shows I’m more than ready for SGB #13. I hope the next two nights aren’t as bad as the past two. This gets old really fast. I need the shot with pulsed Radio Frequency Ablation (pRFA), which … Continue reading

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